New Life
by Col3725
Summary: Post season 5 finale...Charlotte finds out she's pregnant, and she doesn't know how the news of her pregnancy will affect her friendship with Amelia or her new role as 'momma' to Mason...focuses on Charlotte and Cooper; involves all major characters.
1. Chapter 1

Charlotte's standing in front of the glass window, looking at the sick babies, with Mason by her side, his hand on the glass. She has tears in her eyes still, and her heart is still beating faster than normal, not fully recovered from the conversation she just had with her stepson. She keeps glancing at him and quickly turning back to the babies. She's not sure what to do or what to say. She wasn't expecting him to call her anything other than Charlotte, let alone expecting him to _want_ to call her anything but her first name.

Mason searches around the room. "So all these babies had something wrong with them?"

She nods. "That little guy right there has a heart defect and needed emergency surgery shortly after birth. His momma and daddy only got five minutes with him 'fore the doctors wheeled him to the OR." She pauses. "And that precious girl there had fluid around her brain. She had a stent, a little tube, put into her skull to help drain the fluid. She's doin' well, and so is he. Modern medicine is extraordinary."

He sighs. "But it doesn't save everybody."

She rests her hand on his shoulder and squeezes. "Unfortunately, modern medicine is no match for some modern illnesses and defects. It just hasn't caught up yet. But like I said, that baby girl was born with barely any lungs at all, and ten years ago, she would have been dead. Modern medicine hadn't caught up to her current condition yet."

He nods. "I bet those parents are happy."

She smiles. "That's a safe bet." She pauses. "How about we go find your daddy."

He slips his hand in hers and smiles up at her. "Ok."

She relaxes her hand and breathes in and out slowly.

Their fingers interlock, and they walk down the hallway, towards the elevator.

* * *

Charlotte walks in the door of their loft late the next day. She smiles at her son and husband who are sitting on the couch watching Phineas and Ferb. She shuts the door and walks through the living room towards the bedroom.

Mason turns his head and smiles. "Hey, momma."

Cooper coughs and glances at Charlotte, furrowing his brow.

She swallows and blinks. She's still not used to being called momma. "Hey, Mase."

Cooper shakes his head and turns back to the TV_. _He's not sure he heard his son correctly, certainly he didn't because Charlotte didn't seem all that shocked, at least not as shocked as he figures she should be. He chooses to ignore it."How was your day?"

She takes off her coat and sets her purse down on the chair. "Long. I stopped by to see Amelia before I left."

"How's she doing?"

"Not great, but I didn't expect anythin' more." She pauses. "I'm tryin' to give her space 'cause I know when I was—well, after you know what, I just wanted to be left alone." She takes off her heels and walks into the living room.

Cooper nods. "But you're worried about her."

"Course I am. As strong as I wanted to pretend I was, I still had feelins—strong ones at that," she says, hoping he'll get what she's implying. "I can't imagine what she must be goin' through, but it can't be easy, 'specially when she was carryin' that baby boy for nine months. Pain like that and grief are particularly hard when you're an—."

"Ex taco eater?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Sure, we can go with that." She sighs. "She's had an astronomically hard year, but I trust her. I know she's stronger than she appears to be. I can't just assume she'll slip."

Cooper smiles. "Come here, sweetie."

She walks over to him and sits down on the couch. She shifts on the cushion and crosses her legs. She leans into him slightly and rests her hand on his knee. She lets out a breath and brushes her thumb against his pant leg. "After seein' Amelia go through that, seein' how much pain Mason's in, it's not makin' me wanna have babies of my own."

Cooper sighs. They haven't really talked about the baby thing in a while. There's been way too much stuff going on. "Oh?"

She turns her head and presses her lips against his neck, just below his ear. She runs her hand over the top of his head and whispers, "Let me rephrase. After seein' Amelia go through that, seein' how much pain Mason's in, it's not makin' me feel any better 'bout havin' a baby of my own." She takes a long pause and sucks on her bottom lip, her eyes unfocused.

With his head still turned towards her, Cooper asks, "What is it, sweetie?"

She swallows. "I'm pregnant," she whispers.

Cooper's eyes go wide and he arches an eyebrow. "You're serious?"

She nods. "And it scares me to death."

Cooper hooks his arm around her back, kisses the side of her head, and lets out a hushed squeal. He rests his thumb on her chin and turns her head. He presses his lips against hers, and slowly slides his hand up the side her face, tangling his fingers through her hair. He breaks the kiss and smiles.

"Guys, can you please be quiet? You're ruining the show," Mason says, leaning against his father. "I'm missing all the good parts."

Cooper laughs and drapes his arm around his son. He looks over at Charlotte and kisses her softly on the lips again. "We'll talk later."

She nods and lets out another deep breath, turning her focus to the cartoon.

* * *

_So here's the first chapter. Do you want more?_


	2. Chapter 2

Charlotte's in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, sipping her tea. She spits it into the sink and groans.

Cooper walks in and raises an eyebrow. "Everything ok?"

"I hate tea." She yawns and sets her mug down. "I need coffee."

He smiles. "How about some breakfast?"

She nods. "Somethin' light. I'm not feelin' too good this mornin'," she says, rubbing her stomach gently.

"How about some toast?"

She smiles. "Is Mason awake?"

"I just woke him up, so he probably went back to sleep." He pauses. "Speaking of Mason, what was that all about?"

"What was what all about?"

"Him calling you momma."

"Oooh, that."

He laughs. "Yeah, that."

"Two nights ago, I was showin' him the sick babies and tellin' him 'bout Amelia. He said that he wasn't sure what to call me 'cause he already had a mom. I would never wanna take Erica's place and I wasn't lookin' for him to call me anythin' other than my name, but he looked at me and asked if he could call me momma like I call my mother."

He smiles. "That must have been a shock."

She nods.

He walks over to her and places a soft kiss on her lips, pushing her hair away from her face with the side of his hand. "You're gonna be an amazing momma when this little bug comes," he says, resting his hand on her stomach.

She swallows and pushes him away. She covers her mouth and throws her head over the sink. She relaxes her stomach and coughs .

He cringes and sweeps her hair to the side. He swallows and gently rubs her back.

"Ew, that's nasty," Mason comments as he walks into the kitchen.

She raises her head and wipes her mouth, swallowing. She takes a sip of her tea, squirming as the liquid slides down her throat. "I really hate tea," she croaks out and straightens her body.

Cooper flips on the faucet and washes the sides of the sink with the pullout sprayer.

Mason steps farther into the kitchen and opens the refrigerator. "You ok, momma?"

She smiles. "Just fine." She pauses. "Fruit Loops again?"

Mason nods. "Yep." He sighs. "You sure you're ok?" He asks, grabbing the milk from the top shelf.

"Would I lie to you?"

Mason shakes his head. "No." He opens the pantry and takes out the box of cereal, putting it down on the counter.

She reaches up and grabs a bowl from the cabinet. "Help yourself, sweetie."

Cooper goes to kiss her, but she turns her head, so his lips brush against her cheek instead. "Humph."

"I gotta brush my teeth first." She disappears out of the kitchen and heads for the bathroom.

Mason looks at his dad and pours his cereal and milk into the bowl. "Is she really ok?"

"She's really ok."

Charlotte comes back a few minutes later and gives Cooper a kiss on his lips.

He smirks. "Ah, minty fresh." He pauses. "I'll make you that toast now."

She swallows. "I think I'll skip breakfast this mornin'."

"Toast will be light on your stomach. I'll forgo the butter, but you need to eat."

She sighs. "Fine."

He smiles and kisses her on the cheek. "Sit down, relax."

She walks around the island and pulls out the chair, sitting down beside her son. "I'm pickin' Mason up after school today, correct?"

"Correct—if you can."

"I'll call if somethin' comes up, but as of right now, I'm free."

He sets the plate in front of her. "Do you want butter or jam or something?"

She shakes her head. "I'll stick with the plain toast—see if I can handle that 'fore we go for the upgrade." She takes a bite and chews it slowly. "It's a little burnt."

"Sorry."

"Was I complainin'? I like it a little well-done."

"Since when?"

She shrugs. "This mornin'."

He laughs.

Mason pushes away from the island and slips off the stool. He slurps up the milk as he walks over to the counter. He's about to place the bowl in the sink, but stops.

She clears her throat. "Dishwasher."

Mason opens the dishwasher and puts the bowl in, dropping his spoon into the utensil holder.

Cooper messes up his son's hair. "Go brush your teeth and get your backpack. I'll drive you to school."

Mason nods and leaves the kitchen.

She finishes her toast and gets up. She puts her plate in the dishwasher and takes a whiff of the coffee. "God, I need coffee." She fights back a yawn and sighs.

He presses his lips against hers and rests his hand on her stomach. "It's for the baby."

She rolls her eyes. "Duh." She pauses and unplugs the coffee maker. She pours out coffee and runs water into the pot.

"Hey, why'd you do that? I haven't had a cup yet."

"'Cause if I can't have coffee, neither can you. It takes two to make a baby, so I ain't gonna be the only one makin' sacrifices 'round here."

He grunts. "Not fair."

"Get over it." She smirks and runs her hand down his chest, tugging on his belt. "I gotta go to work." She walks out of the kitchen and almost runs into Mason.

"Sorry, momma."

"It's ok." She pauses. "See ya later, Mase."

"You're going to work?"

She nods. "I am. I'll pick you up at school later." She smiles, and grabs her coat and purse from the bedroom. "Have a good day at school." She unlocks the door and slips out into the hallway.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews. You guys are awesome._

_Hope you like this this chapter :)__  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Charlotte's sitting at her desk at the practice, checking her emails when the smell of apple cinnamon fills her nostrils. She perks up and swallows. _No, focus King. _She blinks and turns back to her computer screen. The smell gets stronger and her mouth starts to water. She minimizes her email and pushes herself out of the chair. She walks around her desk and opens the door. She steps out of her office and follows her nose. It leads her into the kitchen where there's a platter of fresh Danishes on the counter. Her shoulders drop, her eyes close, and she smiles. She stands there, breathing in the scent of apple cinnamon.

Sheldon walks into the kitchen and cocks his head. "You alright, Charlotte?"

She blinks her eyes open and raises an eyebrow. "Hmmm?"

"I asked if you were alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He goes for the Danishes but she hurries over to the counter and slaps his hand away. "Sure, you can get first pick."

She takes a napkin from the stack and grabs the Danish on top—the source of the wonderful smell that's wafting through the air. "Come to momma," she mumbles to herself.

Sheldon pays her no mind and studies the pile. He goes for one, but changes his mind. He furrows his brow and looks at Charlotte. "What would you recommend?"

"I recommend not touchin' all of 'em," she snaps. "Oh and stop stealin' all our food. Your office isn't even on this floor." She turns towards the door and walks back to her office.

"Humph," is all Sheldon can come up with as a retort. He takes a Cherry Danish from the bottom and sits at the island counter.

Violet walks into the kitchen, passing Charlotte on the way in. "She seems rather chipper this morning." She pauses. "Oh, fresh Danishes." She grabs a Blueberry Danish from the pile. "How's Amelia? I hear she's getting discharged today."

Sheldon nods. "She's doing ok. I saw her before I came to work this morning. She's up and moving around, and she named the baby finally."

"It's good that she named him. That's a big step."

He nods.

"So what's the baby's name?"

Addison interrupts him. "What're you two talking about?"

"Amelia."

"She looks good," Addison says, grabbing her green juice from the fridge.

"Sheldon was just about to tell me what Amelia named her son."

"Ryan Christopher Shepherd-Kerrigan."

"Thanks for the help, Addison, but I was getting to that."

"Beat you to it, Sheldon."

"That's some name," Violet comments, taking a bite of her Danish.

"Ryan after well, Ryan, and Christopher after her father," Addison explains, pouring herself a glass.

Charlotte comes back into the kitchen and over to the platter.

Sheldon gives her a dirty look as she goes for another Danish.

"Got somethin' to say, Sheldon? I'm hungry. Quit starin' at me."

"Eh, err—." Sheldon purses his lips and looks away.

Charlotte rolls her eyes and looks around. "Someone else wanna say somethin' 'bout me eatin' two Danishes 'fore lunch?"

Addison and Violet stay silent.

"That's what I thought." Charlotte takes a bite and leaves the kitchen again.

Violet laughs.

Addison chuckles. "It must be one of those 'steer clear of Charlotte King' days."

Sheldon snorts. "Either Cooper was an idiot or Mason really pissed her off this morning. I'm banking on Cooper."

"I think we all are," Violet adds.

Addison's phone beeps on the island counter. She picks it up and looks at the message. "It's Amelia. She's being discharged." She pauses and rushes towards the door, turning around again to face her colleagues. "And don't forget, we're having a small service this Friday at the cemetery."

Sheldon nods. "It's marked in my calendar. I wouldn't miss it."

"What if your ex-wife calls? Are you gonna drop everything and jet off across the world again." Violet jokes and looks at Addison. "I'll be there."

Addison nods. "9 AM sharp." She leaves the kitchen and turns the corner to head into the lobby.

Violet takes a sip of her tea. "I totally forgot about the service."

"Me too. I feel like the worst best friend ever."

"Did Addison even tell us about it? You know sometimes you think you ask someone a question or tell them something, but it was only in your head?"

"No."

"Really? That's never happened to you?"

He shakes his head. "No."

"Maybe that's just me then, but are you sure she even told us about the service?"

Sheldon's eyes go back and he tilts his head, as he tries to think. He nods. "I'm pretty sure she told us."

"Oh, well, good thing I'm free the whole morning." Violet carries her mug and Danish out of the kitchen and down to her office.

Sheldon takes his time and then heads for the staircase.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting in her office at St. Ambrose, charting and trying to get her story straight for when she answers the lawyers' messages. Her phone illuminates and beeps twice, letting her know she has a text message. She takes a break from the paperwork and picks up her phone. She reads it to herself: _Do you have time for lunch? ;)_

She laughs at his subtle suggestive text. He wants more office sex, clearly. She sighs, looking at the mound of paperwork on her desk and the blinking red light on her phone. She replies with: _No, sorry, but an apple fritter + a cucumber and chicken salad + a pineapple-mango smoothie would be nice. _

Her phone lights up a few seconds later, Cooper's name blinking on the screen. She opens the message and smiles as she reads it: _On my way. _She pushes her phone to the side and gets beck to charting.

Her office door opens around twenty minutes later and she's startled by the loud click. She shuffles her feet and jerks forward. "I'm awake."

Cooper laughs. "You're drooling on your patient charts." He walks over to the desk and haphazardly stacks the files, moving them to the edge of her desk.

She grunts. "Hey! I have a system for that."

He sets the bag of food in front of her. "Would you rather worry about the organization of your files or would you rather eat your lunch?"

She smiles.

He takes out the plastic container. "One cucumber and chicken salad." He pulls out the clear cup. "One pineapple-mango smoothie." He reaches for the white paper bag and puts it in front of her. "And two apple fritters."

She looks at him and smiles wider. "I didn't actually think you'd go out and get me all this."

"Anything for you." He leans over and presses his lips against hers. He tilts his head and rests his hand against the side of her face. The kiss lingers for a good two minutes before they're both out of oxygen. He pulls back and smiles.

She starts with her dessert first as if she didn't get enough of the fried pastries this morning. She knows that's going to be her weakness for the next seven months. At least she can blame the extra weight on the baby growing inside her, instead of the extra-way-passed-the-recommended-amount of calories she's going to be consuming. She closes her eyes as her teeth sink into the flaky crust. "Mmmm," she mumbles. Just the taste on her tongue makes her mouth water.

He watches her for a second and then asks, "When can I tell people?"

She stops chewing and blinks her eyes open. "Huh?"

"You know, let the world know you're pregnant?"

"Don't you even dare open your mouth to anyone 'til I tell you to or you'll be sleeping out in the hallway—not even the couch. You'll be downgraded to the hallway if even so much as hint at it."

He laughs, but quickly stops when he realizes she isn't joking. "I'm not gonna tell people until you give me the verbal ok to do so, but I need to know when that will be. I just need a ballpark."

She sighs. "Look, I haven't really done the math yet, so I don't know how far along I am, but that's not what I'm basin' this decision on."

"Ok?" He sits on the edge of the desk and looks at her.

She set her apple fritter on the top of a napkin. "This should be the happiest moment in my life, aside from getting married, but the timing sucks. It truly sucks. Not only are we dealing with a grieving nine year-old boy, but we have to contend with the fact that my friend, a person I love, only got a few minutes with her son before she had to hand him over to the transplant team, who ultimately ended his doomed life. So what I'm sayin' is that I want things to die down a little 'fore we go and rub our happiness in everyone's faces."

He nods.

"Or I want to wait until I can't hide the bump anymore, whichever comes first."

"What if someone finds out?"

"Then they find out. I can't do anythin' 'bout that. You just better not have a hand in 'em findin' out."

He smiles. "Ok."

"I mean it."

"Ok."

"Cooper—."

"I said Ok." He pauses. "But—."

She shakes her head. "Don't even finish that."

He sighs. "I'm gonna let you finish working." He pauses. "I'll pick up Mason around four."

"He'll be in my office doin' homework or playin' with his 3DS. I might not be in here with him. I might be in the conference room."

"He'll be in your office, no matter what?"

She nods. "Unless he wonders off to the cafeteria or somethin'. He's been in this hospital more than once, Coop. He knows his way back to my office."

He stands up and kisses her on the lips again. "I'll see you later. Enjoy your lunch."

"I certainly will." She smiles. "And remember what I said."

"I won't tell anyone. It's gonna be hard 'cause despite it being horrible timing, I'm over the moon." He pauses. "And let's face it, Char, we're not exactly known for our timing."

She laughs. "Ain't that the truth?"

He gives her a quick peck on the lips and walks over to the door. "I love you."

"I love you too." She pauses. "Oh, wait, you remember that we have that service thing for Amelia on Friday, right?"

He nods. "I didn't forget." He pauses. "Since Erica's buried in that same cemetery, I thought we could bring Mason and let him wish his mom a happy Mother's Day, show her the scrapbook he made for her, give her the card he spent a week making, and just let him visit with her for a little bit, while we're paying our respects for baby Ryan."

She smiles. "We can ask Mason if that's somethin' he'd like to do 'cause it's up to him, Coop, but that sounds like a beautiful idea." She pauses. "I can ask him on the way back from school."

"Sounds good to me. Let me know tonight what he says." He opens the door and disappears out of her office, heading down the hall towards the exit.

She looks down at her lunch and smiles. "He wins bonus points for this." She picks up her apple fritter again and goes back to enjoying her food.

* * *

**_Review :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

Charlotte's standing by the tree, waiting for Mason. She has her head down, checking her emails. She looks up and sees Mason running towards her. She smiles and pushes off the base of the tree with her heel. She runs her hand over his hair and opens the car door for him. "How was school?" She pauses. "Hold that thought." She shuts the door and walks around the car, slipping into the driver's side. She turns her head. "Seatbelt, Mase."

Mason nods and clicks in his belt.

"Thank you." She turns the key and shifts gears. She puts on her left blinker and pulls into the traffic. "Ok, now tell me. How was school?"

He shrugs. "It was alright."

"Just alright?"

He nods. "It was like any other ordinary day."

She smiles. "As long as it wasn't bad, I can live with ordinary." She pauses. "Um, so on Friday mornin', your daddy and I are goin' to a memorial service for Amelia's son, and we were thinkin' that since your momma's buried in that cemetery, you might want to pay her a little visit."

He's silent and just kicks the back of the passenger seat.

"It's up to you. We just figured you'd wanna wish her a Happy Mother's Day and give her that scrapbook and card you made for her."

"The card isn't for her."

"No?"

"The scrapbook is, but not the card."

"Who's it for then?"

"If I told you, it'd ruin the surprise."

She blinks and clutches the wheel. _Oh. _She swallows and subtly wipes her tears away. "So, um," she swallows again, "do you wanna come with us?"

He nods. "Ok."

"We'd drop you off at her grave 'fore we meet the rest of our colleagues for the service for Baby Ryan, so you'd have a little while alone with your momma."

He nods. "Sounds like a plan."

She smiles and turns the corner. "You know you're stayin' in my office 'til four, right?"

He nods. "I've got homework and my 3DS."

"That's what I told your daddy." She drives down the road and after about ten minutes, she pulls into St. Ambrose's employee parking lot. She parks her car in her assigned parking spot. "Bein' the Chief has its perks—this is one of 'em." She laughs. She gets out of the car and takes his backpack from him, allowing him to get out. "I'm runnin' late for a meetin', so we'll have to book it," she says, locking the door.

He nods and follows her into the hospital.

* * *

Mason's messing around on Charlotte's computer, playing solitaire, when a reminder pops up on her screen. He minimizes his game and clicks on the note. "Doctor's Appointment—11:30 AM 5/15/12." He swallows and quickly pulls up his game again, the black font permanently scorched across his eyeballs. _Doctor's appointment? _ He sighs and pushes back on the chair. He stands up and walks back over to the couch. _That could mean anything, right? It doesn't mean she's—no, it doesn't mean that. It means something else. It has to. Yeah, it means something totally different. Ok. _He sinks into the couch cushions and opens his Math textbook. He stares at the pages but all he can see is: _Doctor's Appointment—11:30 AM 5/15/12._

Charlotte's office door opens and Cooper walks in. He smiles at his son. "Math—fun." He pauses. "What's wrong?"

Mason shakes his head and blinks. "Oh, nothing. I just miss my mom."

"Well, how about some ice cream to cheer you up?"

He smiles. "Strawberry?"

"Any flavor you want, bud."

He gets off the couch and puts his book away. He flings his backpack over one shoulder and walks over to the door. "Momma's in a meeting."

Cooper nods and messes up his son's hair. "I know that. She won't be surprised if you're not in her office when she comes back." He rests his hand on Mason's right shoulder, his arm around his neck, as they walk down the hallway.

He looks up and sighs. "Dad?"

"Yeah, Mase?"

"Uh—." He shakes his head. "Never mind." He continues down the hallway and through the doors to the ER. "I want a strawberry milkshake."

"Whatever you want, Mase." They disappear into the parking lot and head to the car. "How was school?"

"It was good."

"Did Charlotte—I mean, momma talk to you about our plans for Friday?"

He nods. "I wanna see my mom's grave and show her the scrapbook I made."

"What about the card I've been seeing you working on all week?"

He presses his finger to his lips. "Shhhh. That card isn't for my mom. It's for momma."

Cooper blinks and can't help but smile. _That's certainly a surprise—wow. _"I'm sure she'll love it." He opens the car door and Mason slides in. "Buckle up." He walks around the car and gets in. "Next stop—ice cream." He laughs and pulls out of the parking lot.

* * *

**A/N:** Will_ try to post a chapter every day...at least until I run out of the chapters I've written up to this point_

_Anyway, please review. :)_


	5. Chapter 5

Mason's sitting at the kitchen table, pushing his Mac-n-Cheese around on his plate, kicking the table leg, his head down. His fork scrapes against the ceramic plate, making Charlotte and Cooper cringe. He's been awfully silent for the past two days, hasn't said more than three words to either of them. He pushes his plate away and looks up. "May I be excused?"

"You've hardly touched your dinner, Mase," Charlotte says, setting down her fork.

"I'm not hungry."

"I got a call from your teacher today, who says you didn't do any of your homework and that you handed in a blank history test. Everythin' ok, sweetie?"

He gives her a slow nod and presses his fork down into his pasta, squishing it.

She sighs and takes a sip of her peach iced tea. She watches him destroy his perfectly good Mac-n-Cheese and feels the vibration from him kicking the table leg. "Oh, I get it. This is about visitin' your momma's grave tomorrow."

He shakes his head.

"It's not?"

He shakes his head again.

"Well, you've stumped me." She looks at Cooper. "You got a guess?"

Cooper stops eating and shakes his head. "Nope." He pauses. "Mase, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answers quickly. "May I be excused?" He asks again.

She shakes her head. "Not until you eat your dinner."

He pulls his plate closer to himself and takes three bites before putting his fork down again. "There, I ate dinner."

"There's no need for the attitude, mister."

He gets up and walks back to his room, slamming the door.

She sighs and looks at Cooper. "Do you think he's lyin' about this not bein' 'bout his momma?"

Cooper shrugs. "He seemed alright a couple days ago. Did something happen on Tuesday when you picked him up at school?"

"I asked him if he wanted to come to the cemetery with us and then I dropped him off in my office 'cause I was late for a meetin'. I don't think any of that explains his behavior. I guess, talkin' 'bout visitin' his momma could have triggered somethin', but he seemed fine when I left him. He was smilin' and yellin' at his 3DS screen."

"He was acting strange when I picked him up. He looked upset or scared about something. I asked him what was wrong and he said he just missed his mom. I offered to take him to get ice cream to cheer him up. On the way out of the hospital, he got my attention, but then just said never mind. It felt like he was holding something back, but I let it go—thinking it was no big deal."

"Hmm."

"What do you think we should do?"

"You're askin' me?"

"Well, you are his parent."

She smiles. "I say, we just give him space, let him feel whatever he's feelin' right now, make sure he knows he can come to us if somethin's really botherin' him, and hope he talks to us 'fore he gets too lost in his own little world of misery."

Cooper sighs. "I thought we were passed this. I don't mean completely 'cause he did just loose his mom a couple months ago, but we were making good progress—at least I thought so."

She nods. "We were until this stupid Mother's Day crap came 'round." She pauses. "This is just a depressin' week for everyone."

"Not everyone." Cooper leans over and turns her face towards his, closing the gap between their lips. He rests his hand on her stomach and smiles as he pulls back. "How're you feeling?"

She drinks from her glass and holds back a yawn. "Exhausted, nauseous, and lightheaded, but who's to say that's from the pregnancy and not from the fact that I just worked an eleven hour shift?" She puts a forkful of Mac-n-Cheese in her mouth and swallows. "I'm not that hungry either and whatever I eat tonight will probably find its way back up tomorrow mornin', but I'm tryin' to eat as much as I can."

Cooper swallows and pushes his plate away. "Thanks for telling me that in the middle of dinner, Char."

She laughs. "Sorry." She finishes her iced tea and stands up. "Looks like dinner's a big washout tonight." She starts clearing the dishes, but Cooper puts his hand on top of hers, stopping her. "What?"

"Let me clean up. Go take a long, relaxing shower."

"It's fine. I can—."

Cooper shakes his head. "Don't argue with me, Charlotte."

She grunts. "This isn't gonna be a permanent arrangement, just so you know."

"Would you just go take a shower already? Hot water, steam, and a good self-scalp massage—trust me, you'll feel better."

She smiles. "When you put it that way—." She trails off on purpose and steps away from the table.

"Take your time." He presses his lips against hers and slides his hand around the side of her neck, moving it upwards into her hair. He breaks the kiss and smiles.

She gives him a quick peck on the lips and walks out of the kitchen, disappearing into their bedroom and locking herself in the bathroom.

* * *

Cooper's lying in bed, reading a fancy car magazine, when Mason runs into the room. He crosses his legs and squirms. He tries the door but sighs when he realizes it's locked. He knocks loud. "Momma!" He squirms more and groans. He starts to jump. "I really gotta pee!"

Charlotte stops washing her hair and tilts her head out of the cascade of water.

"Momma, pleeeeease unlock the door."

"Mason?" She steps out of the shower and dries her body and hair off a little. She wraps herself in the towel and walks over to the door. She unlocks it and slides it open.

Mason runs in and quickly pushes down his pajama pants.

She blinks and walks out of the bathroom, shutting the door, giving him his privacy. She leans against the wall and waits. "At least he talked." She laughs.

The bathroom door opens and Mason walks out, leaving the bedroom without saying another word.

She sighs and goes back into the bathroom to finish showering. When she comes out, Cooper's asleep with his magazine draped over his stomach. She smiles and crawls into bed beside him. She rests her hand on one cheek and brushes her lips against the other.

Cooper opens his eyes, a faint, sleepy smile on his face. "Mmmm, coconut."

She curves her body around his and rests her head on his shoulder, pushing the magazine onto the floor. "I'm worried 'bout Mason."

He nods. "Me too."

"I don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep tonight."

He lets out a sigh and kisses the top of her head. "Sweetie."

She brushes her palm against his chest and closes her eyes. "I'd kill for a magic genie right about now."

He laughs. "Or a time machine."

"If I had a magic genie, I could wish for a time machine."

He runs his hand up and down her back, and rubs in a circle against her hip bone.

"Mason will always be hurtin', and there's nothin' I can do 'bout that. It'll hurt less and less as time passes, but that pain will never go away. It will come back strong during the holidays, on his birthday, and on Erica's birthday, and there's nothin' I can do. I'd give anythin' to be able to make this all go away, to make his pain just disappear."

He sighs. "You're doing everything you can and it may not seem like it's working, but I know for a fact that it is."

She lets out a breath against his shoulder and shifts uncomfortably on the mattress. She feels the tickle on her cheek as some tears drip down. She quickly brushes them away and presses her lips against his warm neck. "I needed to hear that."

He smiles and squeezes her hip. "He's calling you momma, Char, that in itself should tell you that whatever you're doing is actually helping."

She nods. "I wish I could do more." She swallows, and runs her hand down his side and back up. "You can go back to sleep. I just really needed to talk." She chuckles. "Never thought I'd say that—ever."

He laughs. "It's amazing how much a person can change when they're with the right person."

"I love you."

He kisses the top of her head. "I love you too, sweetie." He pauses and drags his nails up and down her back, gently grazing her skin. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She hugs his side more and opens her eyes, letting the remaining tears leak out. She wipes them away and blinks rapidly, clearing her vision. She lets her eyes close again and blows out a puff of air. She can tell he's already asleep. His breathing is much slower than it was and his body is almost still. She's exhausted, but all she can think about is Mason. By 4:15, she's finally sound asleep—evident by her snores.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

Charlotte wakes up at 7 AM, groggy, nauseous, and irritable. She slaps her alarm clock and covers her face with her pillows. She groans and throws the pillow against the wall. She sits up and tears the sheets off. She yawns and swings her legs around. She leans forward, resting her hand on the nightstand, and stays in that position for a good three minutes. She blows out a puff of air and pushes herself up. She stumbles into the bathroom and shuts the door, quickly.

When she walks back out, Cooper's still fast asleep, no sign that he even stirred.

She crawls back into bed and rolls onto her side. She closes her eyes and scoots up against him. She slides her hand upward, brushing it against his neck and cheek, before running her fingers through his hair. She relaxes her arm and nuzzles her face into his neck. She gives him a soft peck and slowly rubs her palm against his chest. She fights back another yawn and breathes in and out through her nose. Her alarm goes off again and she curses under her breath.

Cooper blinks his eyes open and grunts. He rubs his face and turns his head towards Charlotte. "Morning."

"Mornin'." Her voice is soft and raspy.

He rolls onto his side and his smile fades. "What's wrong?"

She shakes her head. "Nothin'."

He furrows his brows. "Tell me."

She rolls her eyes. "I didn't fall asleep until a little after four and I just threw up. It's been a crappy night and an even crappier mornin'. So forgive me if I'm not all chipper and smiley."

"Shhh. Relax, sweetie." He kisses the top of her head and rests his hand on her stomach, pushing up her shirt and gently rubbing her stomach. He presses his lips against her temple and slides across the mattress. "Do you have a headache?"

She nods and craned her neck to see the clock. "Three hours of sleep isn't gonna cut it. I'm gonna fall asleep in my oatmeal."

He laughs.

"That wasn't funny."

"But it kinda was."

She glares at him.

He swallows. "Ok, ok. It wasn't funny. Shish."

She stands up and disappears into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

The last thing he hears before he falls back to sleep is the scream of the shower.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting at the island counter, nibbling on a honey wheat English muffin with a slight smear of peach jam on top. She looks up when Mason walks into the kitchen and heads for the refrigerator. "Mornin', sweetie. You want anythin' special for breakfast?"

Mason shakes his head and reaches for the milk. He sets it on the counter and opens the cabinet beside the fridge. He grabs a bowl and then walks over to the pantry, taking out the Lucky Charms. He pours himself some cereal and milk, and sits at the counter, a stool between him and Charlotte. He stays silent the entire time he's eating.

"You sleep ok?" She asks, taking a bite of her English muffin. "Mason, I don't know what's goin' on, but we've had this conversation before. You gotta talk to us. I get that this weekend is gonna be hard for you, but you need to communicate." She sighs when he doesn't as much as blink in her direction. She reaches over and places her hand on top of his, brushing her thumb against the top of his hand.

He turns his head and looks at her. "Are you gonna die?"

She blinks. "What?" She shakes her head. "No—I mean, not anytime soon, I hope."

"Positive?"

"Where's this comin' from, Mase?"

"Never mind." He drinks the milk from his bowl and stands up. He puts his bowl in the sink and walks out of the kitchen.

_Huh? _She shrugs it off—sort of—and slips off the stool. She's feeling queasy so she doesn't want to push it. She tosses the rest of her breakfast and puts the dishes in the dishwasher.

Cooper walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.

"Hey, sleepyhead."

Cooper laughs.

She flips around and cups his face, pressing her lips against his. She breaks the kiss and leans back against the counter.

Cooper goes to kiss her again, but she puts her hand between their lips. "Humph."

"Coop, Mason just asked if I was goin' to die."

"Why?"

She shrugs. "I asked, but he didn't answer."

"Maybe that's why he's acting so strange."

"But why would that even come up?"

"His mom just died."

"So he thinks everyone else is gonna kick the bucket too?"

"Maybe."

"Well, that's just depressin'."

"You ready to go?"

She nods. "I just have to go to the bathroom first. See if Mason's ready."

Cooper pushes his lips against hers lightly and runs his fingers up through her straightened hair. "You look beautiful today, by the way."

"So what was I yesterday and the day before and the day before that?"

Cooper smiles. "What I meant is that you're beautiful—period."

"That's better." She pauses. "Now get out of my way." She pushes him and walks out of the kitchen.

Cooper laughs and walks to Mason's bedroom.

* * *

Charlotte and Cooper stand in front of Erica's grave, Mason slightly in front of them. Charlotte gently nudges him, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Take your time, sweetie." She pauses. "And you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Mason shakes his head and takes another step towards the tombstone.

"Do you want one of us to stay with you?"

He shakes his head again and kneels down in front of his mother's grave. He reaches his hand out and traces the engraving with his finger.

Charlotte hooks her arm around Cooper and rests her head against him. She tilts her chin and looks up at him, near tears. Her chest tightens when she hears Mason hitch a breath and hears the word 'Mom' come out of his mouth. She swallows and presses her fingers into Cooper's side.

"Ow, not so tight," Cooper whispers.

"Sorry."

Cooper kisses the top of her head and watches his son.

She waits for an opening in Mason's speech and then tells him, "Mase, we're gonna be right over there. Take as much time as you need."

He nods and places the flowers that he picked for his mother, on the patch of grass directly in front of the headstone.

Charlotte looks at Cooper and nods. "Come on, Coop. Let's give him some privacy."

Cooper puts his arm around her and they slowly walk away, each of them looking back at their son a few times as they make their way over to where their friends are all gathered around.

* * *

Charlotte stands beside Amelia, subtly taking her hand as she looks down at her son's grave. "How you holdin' up?"

Amelia looks up, her eyes slightly dead. "I don't need a babysitter."

"You think that's what I'm doin'? Babysittin' ya? I'm bein' a friend or at least I'm tryin' to be. I was genuinely askin' how you were doin', but hey, I won't make that mistake again." She pulls her hand away and looks down at the grave.

Cooper walks over to her and kisses her just beside the ear, resting his hands on her hips. "Sweetie."

Charlotte sighs and loops her arm around his. "Thank you."

He nods. "I thought I'd break it up before one of you starts throwing punches."

She swallows and her eyes widen and flutter from side to side. "No," she whispers to herself.

"What?"

She rests her hand on her stomach and her body tenses. Her throat feels scratchy as the thick acid crawls its way up. She swallows and gasps for air. She coughs, turning her head into the crook of her elbow. She presses her hand against her lips and burps accidently causing warm liquid to flood into her mouth. She walks away from the group and leans over.

Cooper rushes over to her and rubs her back, holding her hair in his other hand.

Their colleagues turn their heads to the gagging sound and rustling of grass. Addison raises an eyebrow. "Is Charlotte ok?"

Charlotte lifts her head, wiping her hand across her mouth. She swallows, coughing from the bitter taste. She breathes in and out through her nose and feels another wave of nausea.

He squeezes her shoulder and pushes his hand into her back muscles.

She straightens out and holds her stomach. She opens her eyes and groans, getting a sight of the vomit buried in the grass. She wipes the corners of her mouth and swallows, her nose turning up to the foul smell.

"Charlotte, are you ok?" Addison asks again.

She nods. "Montgomery, I'm fine." She rubs her watery eyes and turns around to face her nosey colleagues. "Everybody, I'm fine." She steps closer to the tombstone and leans against Cooper, who has come up behind her. "Are we sayin' a few words?"

"Amelia, do you want to say anything?" Sheldon asks, nudging her a little.

Amelia shifts her weight and looks down at her son's grave. "Baby Ry, my unicorn baby, I miss you, but I know you were here for a reason and were taken from me for a reason, you served your purpose. God needed you. You helped a lot of babies, saved tons of mothers from feeling the way I'm feeling right now. I got to hold you, I got to say goodbye, and I got to hear you squeak. Some mothers don't have that opportunity, so I should be grateful." She turns away, covering her face with her hand, tears dripping through her fingers. She drops her hand and takes a deep breath in and lets it out.

Jake puts his hand on her shoulder, but she pushes it away. "Don't."

With each surge of nausea, Charlotte's reminded that she's carrying a baby. She's reminded that anything can change in an instant. Your joy can turn into sadness with one black and white digital image—the happiest moment can turn into the worst day of your life. Her eyes sting as a thin layer of tears builds up, some managing to escape.

Cooper looks at her and takes her hand, slowly fitting his fingers in between hers. He leans over, pressing his lips into the side of her head. He knows what she's thinking, but he knows telling her everything will be fine, will just result in her getting more agitated and frightened. That's what everyone told Amelia—and look what happened. He just stands there, his face pretty close to her hair, close enough that he can smell her coconut conditioner perfectly, and holds her hand.

Amelia faces the grave again. "I hope your father and your grandfather are taking good care of you up there in Heaven, and I'll see you again one day. I love you and you may be gone, but I'll never forget you," she whispers the last part and slowly gets to her knees. She leans forward and places a soft kiss on the tombstone. She brushes her hand against the cold stone and wipes away her tears. She stands up and dusts herself off. She swallows and looks up and around at her colleagues. "Ok."

Sheldon takes her hand and tightens his grip, brushing his thumb against hers. "You did good, Amelia."

Addison gives Amelia a friendly hug and then looks at her phone. "If there's nothing else to say, we should probably get to the practice. We all have patients."

Amelia nods and they all disband.

Violet sticks around and walks over to her best friend. "Is everything ok?" She directs her question towards Charlotte, having witnessed her very public purge.

Charlotte nods. "Course." She smiles, hoping that will convince Violet to just mind her own business and leave her alone. "Now, I have to go find the groundskeeper and get that mess cleaned up 'fore the temperature rises any further." She separates from Cooper and gives him a warning look before walking away.

"That nasty stomach bug is going around. I probably brought it home."

Violet nods. "Maybe she's pregnant."

He laughs awkwardly. "We're not even trying and she's on the pill." He pauses. "I have to go check on my son. I'll see you at work later." He hugs her and quickly leaves. He wipes the sweat from his brow and lets out a breath. _That was close. _He heads across the cemetery towards Erica's grave, where Mason is still sitting, staring at the tombstone.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

Later that night, Charlotte's sitting up in bed, reading a book. She can hardly keep her eyes open, her head keeps bobbing forward, and she's yawning every few minutes it seems, but she's determined to finish the chapter. Cooper's already passed out beside her, and she's tempted to join him.

"Momma?"

She looks up and manages a smile. "Hey, what're you doin' up? It's almost midnight."

Mason crawls into bed, squeezing between his parents. He nuzzles into her, resting his head on her shoulder. "I had a bad dream."

She dog-ears her current page and closes the book. She sets it on the nightstand and looks at her son—this is more important than finishing the chapter. "About your momma?"

"About you."

"Me?"

He nods. "We were sitting on the couch watching a movie and then you just started flailing around."

She kisses the top of his head and wraps her arm around him.

He sighs. "Are you sure you're not sick? Are you sure you're not gonna die?"

She nods. "I'm positive, sweetie." She pauses. "Can you tell me why this is comin' up all of a sudden? Is it 'cause it's almost Mother's day?"

He shakes his head.

"Then what's gotten into you?"

He shifts and tilts his head back, so he's looking at her. "When I was in your office on Tuesday, I was playing solitaire on your computer." He swallows. "A calendar reminder popped up and I got curious so I clicked on it."

"What was it for?"

He blinks and tugs on his pajama shirt. "It was for a doctor's appointment next Wednesday."

"And that freaked you out?"

He nods. "I got scared, I guess."

"That doctor's appointment has nothin' to do with anythin' you're thinkin' 'bout."

"Then what's it for?"

She brushes his hair to side and smiles. "Would you feel better if I told you?"

He nods. "Uh-huh."

"Ok, then I guess I'll tell you, but you gotta promise not to tell anyone."

"Not even my dad?"

"Your daddy knows already, honey. I mean, you can't tell anyone else."

"Is it bad? It's bad. Oh God, it's really, really bad, isn't it?"

"Shhh." She runs her hand up and down his back. "It's not bad." She pauses. "I'm pregnant, Mase."

"Pregnant?"

She smiles, faintly. "Mmhmm. Your daddy and I are gonna have a baby. The appointment is so a doctor can check on the baby and see if it's healthy."

He blinks slowly. "A baby?"

She nods. "You're gonna be a big brother."

"Oh." He gets pretty quiet and separates from her a little.

"Mase?"

He crawls down the bed and hops off.

"You goin' back to your room?"

He nods.

"Well, goodnight. Love you."

He nods again and leaves the room, sliding the screen shut.

She sighs. "This is why I didn't wanna tell him yet." She picks up her book again and distracts herself with it, hoping she'll pass out eventually.

* * *

Cooper's already in the shower when Charlotte wakes up. She stretches and glances at the clock. She chokes on spit when she reads _10:30 _displayed in bright red letters. She lets out a breath and stands up. She slides open the bathroom door and walks in.

Cooper pokes his head out of the shower. "Good morning, sweetie."

She glares at him. "How could you let me sleep this late?"

"It's Saturday—a Saturday in which you don't have to go into work. I know you didn't sleep much the night before, so I figured you could use some extra sleep."

She can't really be mad at him. She pads over to the sink and washes her hands. She sighs. "So, um, I told Mason that I'm pregnant."

"I thought you said you wanted to wait."

"I did—I still do. I had to tell him." She dries off her hands and walks over to the shower. She leans against the wall and lets her feet sink into the floor mat. "He had a dream that I was having a seizure on the couch. When he was in my office waitin' for you, he was playin' a game on my computer when a calendar reminder popped up on the screen. It was for my doctor's appointment on Wednesday. That got his little mind goin' to places it shouldn't."

"How'd he take the news?"

"Not very good."

"It's big news. We just gotta let him process it. There's not much else we can do."

She nods. "I know. This is the reaction I expected. I was just hoping he'd be a little happier about it."

"He'll warm up to it." He pauses. "I worked my schedule around your ultrasound appointment, so I'll be there."

I canceled it."

"You canceled it? Why?"

"I—."

"Charlotte."

She sighs. "I'm just not ready for it to be real."

"You're scared 'cause of what happened with Amelia."

"No, I just—. Ok, fine, I'm scared, happy?"

"You weren't doing drugs when you got pregnant, Char."

"Your point? What happened to Amelia wasn't necessarily caused by her drug use, Cooper. Do you seriously think that every person who has a baby with a birth defect was doin' drugs at the time? Think again." She pauses. "Do all your patients who have some sort of defect or disability, have a mother who's an addict? I don't think so."

He sighs. "Can I finish my shower before we have a fight?"

She rolls her eyes. "We're not havin' a fight!" She lowers her voice. "We're not havin' a fight. I'm just sayin' that birth defects aren't synonymous with drug abuse. Usin' drugs just increases your chance."

He turns off the shower and grabs the towel off the hook. He dries himself off a little and wraps the towel around his waist. He steps onto the mat and places a soft kiss on his wife's cheek.

She slides down the wall and sinks into the tile floor. "Coop."

He adjusts the towel and sits on the floor next to her. He takes her hand and weaves their fingers together. He gently pushes her head down onto his shoulder and strokes her hair slowly. "I know you're scare, but holding off the ultrasound appointment won't make it any less scary."

She sighs and loops her arm around his. "I know." She pauses. "I'll reschedule the appointment."

"I'll make sure I'm there."

She smiles, but the moment is quickly ruined. She bolts up to her feet and rushes over to the toilet. She drops to her knees and throws her head over the bowl. She closes her eyes and empties her stomach.

He sighs and goes over to her, kneeling down beside her and pulling her hair out of her way. He gently rubs across her lower back and turns his head away. He's used to vomit, he's a pediatrician, but something about this being his wife, just makes him sick to his stomach. He swallows and verbalizes his disgust by accident.

"Be grateful it ain't comin' out of you," she snaps in between vomiting spells.

He nods and kisses her shoulder. "I just hate seeing you like this."

She lifts her head, pushes down the flusher, and then leans back against him, holding her stomach. She coughs and opens her eyes slowly. "I'm never gonna get used to that."

He wraps his arms around her and rests his hand on top of hers. "At least you only have morning sickness. A lot of women have all day sickness."

She grunts. "Way to jinx it, Cooper."

"Sorry."

She lets out a breath and pushes herself up. She walks over to the sink and washes her hands. She grabs her toothbrush from the holder and runs it under the tap. She squeezes some toothpaste on it and looks at Cooper through the mirror. "You gonna make breakfast?"

He smiles. "I'm thinking waffles."

She rinses out her mouth with water and smiles. "I'm gonna take a quick shower."

He nods. "Do you want waffles?"

"Mmhmm."

He stands up and walks over to her. He gives her a quick pack on the lips and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "Take your time." He squeezes her shoulder and walks out of the bathroom. "Leave the door unlocked for Mason," he says just before he shuts the door.

She nods and strips out of her pajamas. She turns on the shower and steps under the cascade of warm water. It feels good on her sore muscles. She could stay in the shower all day if her busy schedule permitted that.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting at the island counter, looking through the Real-Estate section in the newspaper. The loft just isn't big enough for three people, let alone four. She's come to accept that this really isn't the best time to move—Mason's had a lot of change to deal with over the past ten months—but she's also come to realize that if they wait for the right time, they'll be living in this loft forever. She's putting her foot down. Cooper can't talk his way out of moving this time.

She circles a few houses she likes and is going to talk to the realtor about when she calls him. She makes a list of what she's looking for in a house and what she knows Cooper and Mason would want—also for the realtor.

Mason walks into the kitchen and grabs a fruit punch Gatorade from the refrigerator. "Are you coming to the park with us, momma?"

She turns her head, surprised that he's talking to her. "Hmm?"

"Dad's taking me to park. Are you coming with us?"

"I wasn't plannin' on it, kiddo."

"Oh."

"Do you want me to?"

"Um, yeah. Please, come with us."

She smiles. "Since when did I become the person who can't say no?"

"Since you met me?" He flashes her the biggest smile he can manage.

She laughs and pushes away the newspaper and notepad. She decides not to bring up the baby thing again, in fear that his smile will quickly disappear. "Is your daddy takin' you now?"

He nods. "Five minutes." He pauses. "Have you seen my soccer ball?"

"Check under your bed."

He smiles and leaves the kitchen, in search of his soccer ball.

She slips off the stool and runs into Cooper on the way out of the kitchen.

"Did he rope you into coming to the park?"

She laughs. "He did, but it's ok. I'm glad he's talkin' to me."

Cooper kisses the top of her head. "He's bored."

"That makes me feel better. The only reason he's talkin' to me is 'cause he's bored."

Cooper sighs. "You know that's not what I meant."

She nods. "I do know." She pauses. "Keep quiet. Let him come to us if he wants to talk about this."

Cooper smiles. "Ok." He pauses. "You don't have to come with us."

"Outside activity is better than TV or videogames. Plus, it's a little stuffy in here, so fresh air will do us all some good. I wanna go." She pauses. "Don't leave without me." She breezes past him and heads into the bedroom.

Mason walks out of his bedroom and into the kitchen. He looks around. "Where'd momma go?"

Cooper isn't quite used to his son calling Charlotte momma. It makes him smile every time he hears it. "She's in the bathroom. She'll be out in a couple minutes." He pauses. "You find your soccer ball?"

He nods. "It was under my bed just like momma said it was."

"You have your football too?"

He nods. "In my backpack. I've got a Frisbee too."

Charlotte appears in the doorway. "Ready to go?"

Cooper turns his head and smiles. "Wow, you look beautiful."

She's not wearing anything fancy—jeans, a T-shirt, and one of her leather jackets, her hair pulled into a ponytail—but she'll take the compliment. "Thank you." She pauses. "Well, are we gonna go 'fore the sun sets or what?"

"We're gonna go right now, Miss Impatient."

She grunts and rolls her eyes. "Come on, then." She heads for the front door and opens it.

Cooper looks at Mason and laughs. "We better go."

He nods and they follow Charlotte out of the loft.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

Charlotte stumbles into the kitchen on Sunday morning. She hardly got any sleep last night. She rubs her eyes, squinting at the fluorescent light in the kitchen. She pouts her lips. "I need coffee," she gripes, collapsing into a chair at the island. She puts her head in her hands and rubs them against her cheeks, trying to wake herself up. She's only half aware that Cooper's at the stove and Mason has his head in the refrigerator, looking for something. She lifts her head out of her hands and yawns. She's pretty sure this is how a person would feel if they got hit by a train. Her head feels full and she's got a throbbing pulse near her right temple.

Cooper turns around and smiles. "Good morning, sweetie."

"Don't talk 'cause it sounds like you're screaming into a microphone inside my head."

He sighs. "What's wrong?"

"Lack of caffeine, that's what's wrong." She groans and swallows.

"The caffeine should be clear out of your system by now."

"Well, it's not."

Mason sets a tall glass of orange juice in front of her and smiles. "It's not coffee, but it's refreshing."

She attempts to smile, but fails miserably, only managing a line. She grabs the glass and takes small sips, letting the cold beverage soothe her throat, which has become pretty sore due to her morning sickness. She'd much rather have coffee, but as long as the bitter taste of vomit is out of her mouth, she'll drink the OJ. Now that's she's a little bit more awake, she notices the vase with purple, pink, and orange orchids on the far side of the island, two cards propped up against it. She puts her glass down and raises an eyebrow. "What's with the flowers? They're kinda pretty—if you like that kinda thing."

"Mason picked them out for you—for Mother's Day."

"Oh, right, today's Mother's Day."

"You alright?"

"Didn't sleep at all last night." She looks at Mason. "Thank you for the flowers, sweetie. They're beautiful."

Mason smiles. "You really like them?"

She nods. "They came from you so how could I not like them?"

Mason hands her the cards. "Mine's on the top."

"I can tell by your handwriting." She takes the homemade card out of the envelope and reads the front of the card: _Happy Momma's Day_. She's already smiling and a little bit teary eyed. She opens the card and lets out a breath as she scans the crayoned text: _You may not be good with nature or soccer, but you're a good doctor and you're a good momma. I can teach you the other stuff. It's no biggie. Have a great day, momma. I love you. Thanks for everything—Love, Mason. __PS. I hope the baby's ok. _She has hot, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she reads the card again. She turns the stool towards Mason and smiles. "Give me hug."

Mason steps closer and wraps his arms around her, giving her a gentle squeeze.

She completes the embrace and sniffles. She drops her arms and presses her lips to his cheek. "Thank you, honey, and you're welcome." She doesn't even bother opening Cooper's card because she's really not in the mood to cry anymore—not in front of Mason anyway, even if they are happy tears.

Cooper puts a plate in front of her and finally gives her a good morning kiss on the lips. "Happy Mother's Day, Char." He pauses. "Aren't you gonna open my card?"

She shakes her head. "No."

He pouts. "Why not?"

She looks at him, her eyes still a little glossy. "'Cause I'm hormonal."

He laughs. "You said it, not me."

She glares at him.

"You can read my card later."

"I plan on it."

"Have you heard from Amelia?"

She shakes her head. "No." She swallows and cuts her French toast into smaller pieces. "I'm worried. I haven't seen or talked to her since Friday."

He rests his hand on her shoulder and gently rubs. "I'm sure she's fine, sweetie."

Mason taps on her shoulder and smiles when she turns her head. "Happy Mother's Day, momma." He hands her a little wrapped present. "I wrapped it myself."

She laughs. "I can tell." She pauses. "I'll open it after breakfast."

Mason sits next to her and pours syrup over his French toast.

She lets out a breath and eats her breakfast. She's feeling a little queasy but she can't pass up French toast. "Thank you for breakfast."

"I'd have served it to you in bed, but I know how you hate when I fuss over you."

She nods. "Now stop talkin' so I can eat."

He kisses the top of her head and then goes and makes himself a plate. He sits next to his son and they eat their breakfast.

She pushes her plate away when she can't possibly eat another bite, and takes a few more sips of her orange juice. She glances at the flowers and smiles. She's not a flowers kind of girl, but they really are beautiful and because Mason picked them out, they're even more beautiful. She grabs up the rectangular present off the counter and tears off the wrapping paper. She looks at Mason and brushes his hair to the side. "Thank you, Mase. These little coupons will come in handy."

"I wrote them myself."

"I can see that."

"I made one for my mom the past two years and she really loved it, so I thought maybe you would love it too. It's just stupid stuff like free hugs and dad and I will wash and fold clothes for a month."

"Hey, I didn't agree to that," Cooper protests.

Charlotte glares at him. "Just for that, I'm gonna use that coupon right now." She laughs and searches through the small coupon book, ripping the laundry coupon out. She hands it to Mason and turns towards Cooper. "Suck it up, Coop." She slips off the stool and walks out of the kitchen.

* * *

Charlotte's lying down on the couch, watching TV, trying to keep her eyes from closing. She's lightheaded and her vision is blurring as she attempts to stay awake. Her body is tight and her head is heavy, bobbing forward. She closes her eyes and decides she'll take a short 15 minute nap and then continue watching TV. She shifts on the couch and lets out a long, exaggerated sigh. She drifts off to sleep within seconds, her body sinking into the cushions.

* * *

Three hours later, she wakes up with a jolt, and rubs her eyes. She blinks and rolls out her neck. She holds back a yawn and pushes her shoulders back. She cranes her neck and looks at the clock. It's 3:00.

Cooper walks out of the kitchen and smiles. "Hey, sleepyhead."

"I, um," she swallows, "took a three hour nap."

He nods. "I'd have woken you up, but I like living."

She nods and sits up slowly. "Good choice." She stands and pushes Cooper out of the way, making her way to the bathroom. She walks back out and pulls her hair into a ponytail. "I only planned to nap for 15 minutes—guess my body had other plans." She plops down on the couch again and leans back against the cushions.

He sits down beside her and kisses the side of her head. "Did the nap help?"

She lets out a breath and leans into him, wrapping her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "A little."

"You hungry?"

She shakes her head. "No." She grabs her phone off the coffee table and checks for any missed calls or text messages. She sighs and puts her cell back on the table.

"Hoping that Amelia tried to call or text you?"

She looks at him and nods. "How'd you know?"

"I know you." He pauses. "She's fine, Char."

"It worries me that no one has seen or talked to her since Friday mornin'."

"She's dealing with a lot. Would you want to be around people if you had to carry your baby to term, and deliver him, knowing he wasn't going to live?"

"No." She pauses and puts her hand on her stomach.

"Sweetie, our baby is just fine."

She sighs loudly and gives him a slow nod.

"Wanna go see a movie or something?"

"No." She stands up and walks towards the bedroom. "I just wanna be alone for a while."

"Are you ok?"

"Just got a lot on my mind." She goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. She grabs the bubbles from under the cabinet and turns the knob on the tub faucet. She watches the water fill up, strips naked, and then turns off the faucet, the silence very much welcomed. She steps into the warm water and stretches out on the tub floor, the water slowly seeping into her pores. She leans her head back on the foam pillow and closes her eyes. "Ah." She shifts, sliding against the porcelain floor, and lets her shoulders drop. She focuses on the back of her eyelids and listens to the silence, trying to clear her mind.

* * *

Around 4:30, Charlotte walks out of the bathroom and heads into the living room.

Cooper turns around and smiles at her. "Hey."

She rubs her eyes and tightens the tie on her bathrobe.

"Feeling better?"

She nods. "Yeah. I told you I just needed to be alone." She pauses. "Did Amelia call?"

He sighs. "No."

She walks into the kitchen and grabs a peanut butter granola bar from the pantry.

Cooper gets off the couch and follows her. "Just give her time, Char. She needs time."

She swallows. "She's a recovering addict, who just went through somethin' traumatic, Coop. She's been clean and sober less than a year and you want me to give her time?"

He walks over to her and rests his hand on the small of her back. He kisses the side of her head and sighs. He turns her head and presses his lips against hers. "Sweetie, today is Mother's Day and Amelia just gave birth to a baby she had to bury. She's not gonna wanna talk to you today or tomorrow or maybe even a week from now. She's hurting and you are just a reminder of what she's lost. You're a mother. You're a wife. Think about it, Charlotte."

She closes her eyes and holds onto the counter. She blinks her eyes open and looks at him, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

He steps closer to her and pulls her into a hug. "She needs time and space—that's all you can do for her right now. You gotta trust her."

She tightens her grip around him and sighs against his neck. "It's hard—to trust her. She stayed clean even after finding out about the baby, which should make me confident that she'll stay clean now, but—." She shakes her and separates from him. She rubs her eyes and blinks. "I don't know if we'll ever be friends again. I don't think I'll ever be able to talk to her about you or Mason or tell her I'm pregnant. I just don't see us ever goin' back to the way things were."

"Forget about Amelia, your fears about our baby, everything, and come watch a movie with me. Please."

Mason comes out of his room and into the kitchen. "Dad, you wanna watch _Madagascar_ with me?"

Cooper smiles and looks at Charlotte. "Wanna come watch _Madagascar_ with us?"

She nods. "Ok."

He rests his hand on top of hers and brushes his lips against her cheek. "I love you."

She smiles. "I love you too."

He looks at Mason. "You don't mind if momma watches the movie with us, do you?"

Mason shakes his head. "No. I want her to watch it with us." He pauses. "I'll go set up the DVD." He runs into the living room and plops down in front of the TV.

"I'll meet you in the living room, Coop."

"You and Amelia will be friends again. I know you will." He smiles.

_I hope he's right. _She lets out a breath and walks into the bedroom.

"Hey, Mase, you want some popcorn?"

"Yes, please," Mason calls to him, fiddling with the DVD player.

He grabs two bags of popcorn from the pantry. "You need help out there?"

Mason shakes his head. "I got it, dad. Just make the popcorn."

"Ok." He puts a bag in the microwave and presses the button.

* * *

_thanks for the reviews...keep them coming :)_


	9. Chapter 9

It's barely five in the morning on Tuesday and Charlotte wakes up to a pounding on the door. She groans and glances at Cooper, who's sound asleep—_curse_ _him_. She rolls out of bed, her whole body tight with exhaustion. She rubs her eyes and grabs her bathrobe, wrapping herself in the soft fabric. She puts on her slippers and walks slowly through the living room. She looks through the peephole and opens the door. "Violet, it's five in the morning." She softens a little when she sees the expression on the brunette's face, sees the tears in her eyes, the paleness of her skin. "Who ruffled your feathers?"

"Pete—."

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "You're here to make me feel guilty again for callin' the cops on him, aren't ya? I'm sorry he had to go back to jail, but he broke the law—plain and simple. I can't play favorites."

"He's, um, he's gone."

"Gone?"

"One of the prison doctors called me. Pete had another heart attack."

Charlotte swallows. _Now, I feel like an ass. _"I'm sorry." She pauses. "Cooper's still asleep, but you can go wake him up. I'm sure that's why you almost knocked down our door." She walks into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She suddenly feels sick to her stomach—not just from morning sickness or thr lack of caffeine in her diet these days. _Death usually comes in odd numbers—Ryan, Erica, Baby Ryan, Pete. _She swallows and shakes her head. _You're bein' ridiculous. _

She can hear Violet's sobs and Cooper's soft, comforting whispers from where she's standing. She yawns and chokes back her bitter tea before she sits down at the table. She folds her arms and lowers her head, resting it on one arm. She closes her eyes and breathes in and out, not only trying to fall back asleep, but in hopes of quelling the nausea.

* * *

Charlotte's woken up by a hand on her shoulder. She abruptly lifts her head and sighs. "Oh, Cooper."

Cooper smiles at her and heads over to the fridge to grab the milk. "It's crazy about Pete."

She nods. "You don't blame me, do ya?"

"Why would I blame you?"

"'Cause I called the police, I'm the one who sent him to prison. His body probably couldn't handle all the stress he was under and I'm the one who caused that stress. If I had just kept my mouth shut, dealt with this within the hospital—."

He goes over to her and cups her upper arms, his thumbs pressing into her sore muscles. "Char, this isn't your fault. He had a bum ticker. I know calling the police on Pete wasn't personal."

"Actually—." She turns around. "It wasn't personal against Pete, per say, but it was kinda personal against Seaside Wellness as a whole."

"I don't understand."

She lets out a breath and shifts on the seat. "Everyone at the practice seems to think that 'cause I'm your guys' friend and colleague, that you can take advantage of my position as Chief of Staff. You can do anythin' you want 'cause I'm just gonna bail you out."

He nods, not being able to disagree with her on that point.

"Amelia thought that 'cause I was her friend that I'd just let her piss on the rules and I'd turn a blind eye to her problem. _You_ think that 'cause I'm your wife, 'cause I love you, that every time you screw up, I'm just gonna work my magic and save your ass. Pete thought that 'cause he was there when you weren't and we bonded over our annoying spouses that he could undermine my authority and the law and do whatever he thought was right. Sam thinks that—."

"Please, stop."

"I brought that on myself. I've done things, played favorites, helped out a friend or two, I admit that, but when I decide to play by the rules like I used to before I got wrapped up in personal relationships and friendships, I'm the bad guy. If I don't agree with you people, I'm the heartless bitch, and you know how much I hate that."

He blinks and runs his hands up and down her arms.

"I have a reputation to uphold, and you people just don't understand that your actions reflect on me. You know how much extra work I have because I chose to sign off on the organ transplant? I'm up to my eyeballs in paperwork and I've gotta turn on the charm and the fake smile, and convince the lawyers and the board that doing this only helped, it didn't hurt, and that it wasn't just killin' a baby for sport or killin' a baby in general." She pauses. "Nothin' good comes out of breakin' the rules, but nothin' good seems to come out of playin' by 'em either."

He's slightly confused. This is obviously something she's been thinking about for a while—it's the first he's hearing all of it, though. _Where the hell is this all coming from?_

She pulls away from him and stands up. "Is Violet still here?"

"She's asleep in our bed." He pauses. "Do you think you can bring Mason to school? I'm not going into work today. Violet needs me."

She rolls her eyes.

"What?"

"Is this how it's gonna be from now on? Someone's in need, so I lose my husband again?"

"Charlotte, you're being unreasonable. Her husband just died, have some compassion."

"I'm sorry about Pete, and I understood why you were spendin' so much time with Erica and Mason after we got back from Seattle, but please, don't forget about me again. I do need ya, you know."

He lifts her chin with his thumb and smiles at her. He leans in close and brushes his lips against hers, kissing her softly. He pulls back and tucks a piece of her messy hair behind her ear. "I know, and I'm here for you. I just also need to be there for Violet." He pauses. "I'm not gonna move in with her this time, I promise." He laughs, but quickly gets quiet when he realizes she's not as amused as he is.

"I know Violet's goin' through somethin' right now, but for the love of God, please learn how to balance, Coop. I get that she needs you, but you've got a wife, a son, and a baby on the way, who need you too." She offers him a small smile and heads for the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

_Please review :)_


	10. Chapter 10

Charlotte's standing at the reception desk at Seaside Health and Wellness. She's leaning against the counter, reading her messages. She shifts her weight from one hip to the other and nods off.

Addison snaps her fingers and takes her pink slips from the receptionist.

Charlotte lifts her head and blinks her eyes open. "I just fell asleep standin' up, didn't I?"

Addison nods. "Looked like that to me."

"Violet busted down our door at 5:15 this mornin' and I haven't been sleepin' well."

"I was going to close the practice today because of what happened with Pete, but we just can't afford that. Business has been slow, and now we're down one doctor permanently and two more indefinitely. I'd much rather close the practice. Everyone is dragging their feet around here since we've heard, but how do you choose between a friend and your job?"

Charlotte nods. "Lord knows I've had to make that hard decision multiple times. It's not easy, but you do what you have to do." She pauses. "We gotta grieve on our own time, and hope it doesn't interfere with our patients. Life goes on and we have jobs to do."

Addison sighs. "I think we deserve a little bit of happiness around here, don't you?"

"With the year we've had, I couldn't agree with you more."

Addison reads through her messages. "Is Cooper planning to grace us with his presence today?"

"No. He's wearing his best friend hat today."

"I can't imagine how Violet's feeling right now. They were trying to work things out and they were actually making progress. And poor Lucas."

Charlotte swallows. "Damn. I completely forgot about Lucas." She feels pressure behind her eyes as tears build up. She can't help it. Not only is she hormonal, but she's also thinking about Mason and how much pain he's still in from recently losing his mother. It all just collides inside her and tears drip down her cheeks. She blinks and quickly wipes them away.

"Maybe we should just close the practice for today. We're down four doctors and this conversation is making me want to go home and spend the day with my son—at least until four when I have a scheduled C-section."

"It's your practice, so it's your call. It doesn't matter to me one way or another. I still have a hospital to run."

Addison nods. "There's going to be a meeting in five minutes in the conference room. We'll put it to a vote."

"I'll be there."

"Try not to fall asleep at your desk."

Charlotte laughs. "Trust me, I just might." She takes her pink slips and walks back to her office.

Addison sighs and looks at the woman behind the counter. "Jerry, I need you to let the rest of the doctors know about the meeting."

Jerry nods. "Right away, Dr. Montgomery."

"Thank you." Addison hands her the three files she has in her hands and goes back to her office.

* * *

Charlotte's in her office at St. Ambrose, working through a stack of paperwork, when her phone rings. She answers it, setting her pen down momentarily. "Dr King speakin'."

_"Char, it's me."_

"Oh, hi, Coop. I'm kinda busy."

_"I was just wondering how your day was going."_

"Addison closed Seaside Wellness for the day, so I've been at the hospital all mornin'. I haven't seen a single patient all day. It's been a day of paperwork, upon paperwork, upon paperwork."

_"Don't forget to eat."_

"I have snacks in my desk." She laughs. "I've got a whole drawer of cheese crackers, granola bars, rice cakes, and graham crackers."

_"And take breaks."_

"If I had time to take a break, I would."

_"I have to go, but are you still gonna be able to pick Mason up from school?"_

She nods. "Unless somethin' emergent comes up."

_"Love you."_

"Love you too." She hangs up the phone and rubs her eyes, fighting back a yawn at the same time. She stares down at the stack of paperwork and groans. _Looks like I'll be takin' most of this home with me this afternoon_. She stands up and walks into the bathroom. When she comes back, the pile of paperwork looks like it grew three feet. She walks around her desk and gets comfortable again. _Sometimes I really hate this job._ She feels a little faint, so she opens her top drawer and fishes out a s'more granola bar. She glances at the clock and nods. _Let's see how much work I can get done in two hours. _She picks up her pen again and gets back to work.

* * *

Charlotte's standing in the foyer of the elementary school, waiting for Mason. Normally, they picked him up outside, but she needed to go to the bathroom, being pregnant and all. She glances at her watch and then the bell rings. She stands up when she sees Mason weaving through the sea of kids. She smiles and takes his backpack from him. "How was school, sweetie?"

Mason walks beside her as they exit the school. "It was good. Nothing special."

"How much homework do you have?"

"I have to write a non-fiction short story and I've got a math worksheet."

"Not too bad."

He shakes his head. "I already finished half my worksheet during silent reading."

"Mase, you're s'posed to spend your time readin' durin' silent readin'."

"I did read. I read my math worksheet."

"Don't be a wise guy." She throws his book bag in the backseat and walks around the car.

He hops into the passenger seat and buckles his seatbelt. "Is Violet still at the apartment?"

She shrugs. "I don't know, but I assume so."

"Are we going to the hospital?"

She shakes her head. "I thought we could go out for ice cream and then head back to the loft. I have too much paperwork to see any actual patients today, so I figured I might as well bring my work home. We can have a family dinner at a reasonable hour tonight."

He smiles. "That's the best news I've heard all day."

She laughs, but sighs. "But I don't know how late Violet's gonna be there."

"It sucks—that Pete had to die."

"Watch your language, Mase."

"Sorry, momma." He pauses. "Is Violet ok?"

"She will be, I hope, or I may never get my husband back," she jokes, with a thin sliver of honesty in her voice. "Do you want to go out for ice cream or do you just want to go to grocery store and pick up somethin'?"

"I vote for the grocery store. Ice cream makes everything better, so maybe Violet will feel better after she's had a bowl."

Charlotte smiles. "We can pick up a few different flavors and toppins."

He smiles. "I lied before. _This_ is the best news I've heard all day."

She laughs again and turns the corner. "I bet it is." She pulls into the grocery store parking lot and cuts the wheel hard to the left, turning into a spot. She straightens the car out and unbuckles her seatbelt. "Strawberry's a given, but what other flavors should we get?"

He shrugs. "Strawberry, strawberry, and more strawberry?"

She drops the keys into her purse and they get out of the car. "I'm cravin' mint ice cream."

"Maybe we should call dad and see what flavor ice cream Violet wants."

"I'll give him a call when we get to the ice cream aisle." She runs her hand over the top of his head, her fingers sliding through his hair. "You're awfully interested in Violet's wellbein' all of a sudden."

He sighs and looks up at her as he walks into the store. "I know what's worked for me since my mom died, to make it easier, so I thought maybe the same things would help Violet. Losing a parent and losing a wife or husband isn't exactly the same, and I'm a kid and she's a grownup, but she still lost someone she really loved and someone really close to her."

Charlotte smiles. "You're a good kid, you know that?"

"I have some idea."

She messes up his hair. "Come on."

He picks up a basket and they walk towards the frozen food aisle.

* * *

Charlotte unlocks the door to the loft and walks in. "Mase, can you please put the ice cream in the freezer 'fore it melts?"

Mason nods. "Uh-huh."

"Thank you, and why don't you get an early start on your homework?"

Mason nods again. "Can I read you my story when I'm done with it?"

"You sure can. I'd love to hear it." She smiles.

"Thanks." Mason disappears into the kitchen and puts the ice cream away like he was asked.

She heads into the bedroom and sits on the chair in the corner. She lets out a loud sigh as she takes off her high heels. She looks up and notices that their bed is made. She changes into something more comfortable and disappears into the bathroom. She jumps when she realizes that Violet's standing at the counter, combing through her damp, curly hair. "Um, hello, Violet."

Violet turns around. "Oh, do you need to use the bathroom?"

Charlotte nods. "That's why I'm in here."

Violet takes the brush and goes into the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Charlotte walks out a few minutes later. "Where's Cooper?"

"Right behind you."

Charlotte jerks her shoulders back, startled by the deep voice. She smiles at Cooper and tucks a stubborn piece of her hair behind her ear.

Cooper looks at his watch and raises an eyebrow. "Is my watch broken or something? It says its 4:00, but it can't be 'cause you're home."

Charlotte laughs. "Joke all you want, Coop, but I don't work late every day."

"Actually, you do."

She rolls her eyes. "I really need to get this paperwork done, which means I don't have time to see patients today, so it makes more sense for me to work in the comfort of my own home. Seein' Mason's face light-up when I told him we were goin' home instead of the hospital, definitely sealed the deal for me." She pauses. "My pager's still on, so if someone needs to reach me, they can."

He gives her a soft peck on the lips and smiles. "Is the ice cream for now or later?"

"It's for dessert, Coop. We don't wanna set a bad example for our son, now do we?"

He grunts. "It's just ice cream."

She glares at him.

"Ok, ok. It's for dessert."

"Can I talk to you for a minute—in private?"

"What's wrong?"

"I just wanna ask you somethin'—well, two things actually."

He walks into the living room and she follows him, shutting their bedroom partition behind her. "Ask away," he says, leaning against the back of the couch.

"Is Violet spendin' the night?"

He sighs.

"Cooper."

"I'm gonna drive her home later—after dessert—and I'll probably stay at her house for a little while. She's slept in her bed by herself before, but this is different. Her bed is half empty and she knows why—it's permanent. If me being there gives her some comfort and allows her to fall asleep, then that's what I have to do. Think about how you would feel if I died."

She grunts. "Way to feed into my insecurities to justify your actions, Cooper."

"What?"

She shakes her head. "Never mind." She pauses. "But you'll be home tonight? You'll be sleepin' in our bed tonight?"

He nods. "Yes."

She lets out a breath. "Ok."

"Besides, Violet needs some space too, so if I'm there, she won't have to worry about Lucas."

"Ok," she repeats

"You said you had two questions, so what's your second one?"

"You're still gonna be there for me tomorrow, right?"

"What's tomorrow?"

She slaps him. "My doctor's appointment, you idiot."

"Oh."

"You forgot. That's just great."

"I didn't forget, Char. You canceled it and you never told me what the new date was. I didn't know you had an appointment tomorrow."

"I didn't tell you?"

"No."

She rubs his chest. "I'm sorry I slapped you. I didn't realize I never told you."

He kisses the top of her head. "It's ok. You've been stressed. It just slipped your mind."

"My appointment's at 1:30. They're booked solid for the next three weeks, so it was either make it for tomorrow at 1:30 or wait until the first week of June."

"I'll be there."

"You better or see that couch? It'll be your bed for the next month."

He swallows and cracks his back, knowing exactly how uncomfortable that sofa is to sleep on. "I promise, I'll make it."

She smiles. "Ok." She pauses. "Now, I have to work, so keep out of my hair for a while."

He lowers his head and closes the gap between their lips. He breaks the kiss and smiles. "Good luck."

"I'm gonna need it." She grabs the paperwork from her briefcase and settles down on the couch, pen in hand, water bottle on the coffee table beside two caramel rice cakes.

Cooper pushes off the couch and goes back into the bedroom.

* * *

_Hope you like this chapter :)_


	11. Chapter 11

Charlotte's sitting on the couch, licking ice cream off her spoon, when Mason walks into the living room. She turns her head and smiles. "Hey, sleepyhead. You want some ice cream?"

Mason nods. "Yes, please."

She stands up and follows him into the kitchen. "You get the bowl and spoon. I'll get the ice cream." She opens the freezer and pulls out the carton of strawberry ice cream. "How's your homework comin'?"

"I finished math, and I'm halfway done with my essay."

"I thought it was a short-story," she says, scooping some ice cream into his bowl.

"It can be a short-story, a couple poems, or an essay. The only requirement is that it's true. I was gonna write a short-story, but I changed my mind."

"Ah, I see." She pauses. "So what're you writin' 'bout?"

"You'll know when you read it."

She laughs. "It's a secret, huh?"

He nods. "Mmhmm," he mumbles as he sticks a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"Go to bed early tonight, Mase. You almost fell asleep in your mac-n-cheese, and have been passed out since seven."

"I will, momma, just as soon as I finish my essay."

She kisses the top of his head and leans against the counter, finishing what's left of her ice cream. "How's dessert?"

He gives her a wide, ice-creamy grin. "Delicious."

"I'm glad. You want some more whipped cream?"

"Yes, please."

She runs water in her bowl and puts it in the top dishwasher. She shakes the whipped cream canister and presses the nozzle. "Tell me when to stop." She sprays the whipped cream on top of his ice cream.

He holds up his hand. "Stop."

She laughs. "That sure is a lot of whipped cream."

"I looove whipped cream."

She puts the canister back in the fridge and washes her hands. "I'm gonna go lie down in the bedroom. Put your dish in the dishwasher and shut off the light when you're done."

"Are you still gonna read my essay?"

She nods. "Put it on the counter when you're done with it. I'll read it before I go to bed. Do you want to use my computer?"

He shakes his head. "I have to practice my handwriting. It's kinda sloppy."

"I hope I'll be able to read you essay, then."

He laughs. "I hope so too. I'll try really hard to write it really neat." He smiles.

She messes up his hair and smiles back at him. "If I can't make out your scrawl, you'll just have to read it to me on the way to school tomorrow mornin', but I am a doctor, so I'm used to reading illegible handwriting." She pauses."Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight, momma."

She kisses the top of his head and walks out of the kitchen.

* * *

Around nine, Charlotte walks into the kitchen and rummages through her candy drawer at the counter. She's craving something sweet, preferably something made of chocolate. She turns around and notices the pieces of paper on the island counter with a post-it stuck to the top sheet, reading: _Please read me. _She smiles and grabs a water bottle from the refrigerator. She sits at the island and pulls the post-it off. _Pretty neat. _She eats her Hershey chocolate bar while she reads Mason's essay:

_My Life: As Told by a Nine Year-old Boy_

_By Mason Warner_

_I lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling, thinking about her. I feel her arms around me in my dreams and sometimes even in real life. I can see her and I can touch her sometimes too. She sits on the edge of my bed and reads me my favorite book. She messes up my brown hair and tickles me. I HATE that. She walks back and forth, quizzing me on my times tables and long division. She smiles and laughs. She constantly runs her hands through her brownish-blonde hair as she talks to me about what heaven is like. She says that she plays poker with the angles every night and they always let her win. I know she's going to disappear soon when she says I love you. I just know that she'll be gone right after I finish saying it back, just like the first time. _

_I'm not a typical kid, I never was, and it has nothing to do with me being able to see, touch, and feel my mom though she's not alive anymore. I can't see ghosts, just one, but even I know none of that's real, just part of my imagination. Ghosts aside, I'm just a kid, who grew up without a dad and with a mom who worked all the time. I didn't care that much. That was my life, I couldn't change it, but I didn't have to. It changed all by itself. It changed a lot and it's still changing now. _

_It was a Tuesday morning and my mom had laid out my favorite blue shirt and some jeans. She told me we were going to see the doctor. I thought that was weird because I hadn't been to the doctor in over a year (Shhh, don't tell anyone), but it got me out of school, so hey, I'd get dressed and go to the doctor. It took us about a half hour to get there, but that half hour car drive would change my life forever and I literally mean forever. You see, I wasn't going to see just any doctor. I was going to meet my dad (yes, my real dad), except I didn't know he was my dad at first. He's pretty cool. He's got some killer magic skills. The best part is that he knows all about Pokémon. Who over the age of ten knows about Pokémon? My dad, that's who. At first, it was just me and my dad hanging out together, but my life was about to change again: I met his wife. We started to do things together, all three of us. I liked that better because it was fun having someone almost as good at Wii as I am. (No offense, dad)._

_You're probably wondering why after eight years, I was meeting my dad and his wife for the first time. I was wondering that too. I was confused and knew something was wrong when my mom and I got into a car accident. My dad and his wife wouldn't let me see my mom at all. I also knew something was wrong when my mom said we were all going to Seattle. That's right, me, my mom, my dad, and my stepmom. Who has a family vacation with all those people? It wasn't a vacation. My mom was sick. There was a tumor in her brain and she needed some really important operation. She survived that, but my life was about to change again. The doctors found more tumors. My mom was really sick, and this time, no one could help her. I said goodbye and almost a week later, I said goodbye again, but this time it was for real. When I left that room, it was because she was dead._

_I'm a nine year-old boy, living in California with my dad and my momma. I call my stepmom momma now, just like she calls her mom because I love her. I can't call her mom because I already have one, I can't call her by her first name because she's earned way more than that, and I can't call her stepmom because who calls someone stepmom? It's just a title, not something you call someone to their face. Besides, she's much more than a stepmom to me. She's much more than the woman who's married to my dad. It's been less than a year since me and my mom drove that half hour to where my dad works, and I've survived a lot of change in that time, but I'm about to face yet another change: I'm going to be a big brother._

* * *

Charlotte swallows and closes her eyes. Her hands are shaking and tears are dripping down her cheeks. Her chest is tight, making breathing difficult, and her heartbeat is rapid and uneven. She slips off the stool and walks into her son's room. She crosses her arms over her chest and stands in the doorway for a few seconds, watching him sleep. She puts his essay on his desk and tucks him in, pulling the covers up to his neck. She kisses the top of his head and smiles. "I love you too, Mase," she whispers and backs out of the room.

* * *

_Please review :)_


	12. Chapter 12

Charlotte's lying awake in bed, staring at the window, her hand resting on Cooper's cold, undisturbed side of the bed. She sighs and rolls onto her back. She turns her head and looks at the clock on her bedside table, watching the neon numbers change from 3:10 AM to 3:11 AM. She closes her eyes and the door to the loft opens. She pretends to sleep as she hears heavy footsteps coming towards the bedroom. The partition opens and so do her eyes. "Did you really think you could just sneak in here and I wouldn't notice?"

Cooper sighs and sits on the edge of the bed. "You're awake."

"What was your first clue?"

He takes off his shoes and pants, and gets more comfortable. "I had every intention of being back here by ten, but then Violet broke down, started hyperventilating, and what kind of friend or person in general, would I be if I just left her alone like that?"

She grunts.

"I'm sorry I'm late, but technically, I didn't do anything wrong. I said I'd be home, I said I'd sleep in our bed—I'm home and I'm about to sleep in our bed."

"That is not the point, Cooper, and you know it."

He nods and scoots closer to her. "I know I messed up. I'm sorry."

"I know if I was in Violet's position, I'd be ten times worse off than she is right now, and let's face it, you're a great friend, she's lucky to have you, but did you ever stop for a second to think that I might need comfortin' too?"

He raises an eyebrow.

"I just lost a friend, I might end up losing another one, and right now, it's like I've lost my husband too. I don't want you to drop Violet like a hot potato, you wouldn't be the man I fell in love with if you did that, but spending all day with her, comin' home at three in the mornin', that's unacceptable."

He nods.

"Are you comin' to work tomorrow?"

"Violet's doing better—or she was when I left. I'm going to work, but I think I might stop by and bring her lunch or something tomorrow."

"1:30, don't forget and don't be late."

"I know. I'll be there." He kisses the top of her head and slides even closer to her. Being this close, he notices the slight red tinge and cloudiness of her eyes. "Have you been crying?"

She sighs and nods.

"Because I'm late?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Coop. My tears have nothin' to do with you."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I read Mason's essay. That boy—." She shakes her head and grunts, wiping away fresh tears. "Read it and you'll understand the tears."

He pulls away from her, but she pulls him back.

"I didn't mean right this second, Coop. I mean, tomorrow mornin'."

He laughs. "Oh." He pauses. "What's his essay about?"

"Just read it. He didn't tell me, so I'm not gonna tell you."

"Whatever it's about, it has to be something big if it made you cry."

"I'm pregnant, Coop. I seem to cry about everythin' these days." She pauses. "But it is big. I know I'd have cried even if I wasn't overly hormonal."

"I can't wait to read it." He pulls her into a cuddle and brushes his lips against her forehead. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Yes, but at least you made it home 'fore the sun came up. You get half a point for that."

"I really am sorry. I'm just not any good at this. I've never been good at balancing you two. How do you choose which one needs you more? I know it should be an easy decision—I should choose you because you're my wife."

"Coop, I never said you had to choose one or the other. I can't ask you to do that. You just have to understand that even though Violet's hurting, she doesn't need you all the time." She pauses. "Spend part of the workday with her when you're not seein' patients, and spend the night with me and your son—that's how you balance."

He smiled and slides his hand up and down her back.

"She needs to learn to stand on her own two feet, no matter how difficult that may seem now. I know losing a parent and losing a spouse are completely different, but to me, grief is grief. She's grieving. You helped me more than you know, and I know you can help Violet—I want you to—but like I keep sayin', she doesn't need you 24/7."

"I hear you, Char."

She rests her head on his chest and presses her body against his. She closes her eyes and lets out a breath.

"I love you," he whispers.

"I love you too."

"It was day one—the first few days are the hardest."

She shifts on the mattress and nods slowly. "I know, Coop."

"Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight." She yawns and drifts off to sleep, still in his arms.

* * *

The next morning, Charlotte wakes up in bed alone, a feeling all too familiar to her. She sighs and disappears into the bathroom. She walks back out, wrapped in a towel, her hair straight. She gets dressed in a pair of light grey colored slacks and a green button down shirt. She pulls her hair into a sleek ponytail and slips into her heels. Her short leather jacket completes the look. She heads into the kitchen and stops in the doorway. "Oh, you're still home."

Cooper flips the pancakes and smiles. "I'm making you breakfast."

"Bribin' me with food won't make me forget about yesterday, Coop."

He laughs. "Wow, you're gorgeous."

"Flattery won't work either." She smiles and fills her To-Go cup with boiling water, adding a jasmine tea bag.

"It was worth a shot." He pauses. "Are you hungry?"

"Starvin'," she says, opening the drawer to the right of the stove, grabbing a paper lunch bag. "Is Mason up?"

"He's getting dressed." He pauses. "And I read his essay. See, I told you what you were doing was helping."

She smiles. "I'm still surprised at how much I love him. I just—." She rolls her eyes. "I'm really gettin' sick of all these damn tears."

"It has nothing to do with the pregnancy, Char."

"Did I say it was? No, I didn't."

"How many pancakes do you want?"

"Four."

"Damn, you must be hungry."

"Shut up, and yes, I am." She closes Mason's lunch and sets it in the middle of the counter. She grabs the whipped cream and strawberries from the fridge and sits down on her stool at the island.

He turns around and sets her plate in front of her. "What's the whipped cream for?"

"Don't judge me."

He laughs. "I wouldn't even dream of doing such a thing—you'd kill me." He smiles and gives her a napkin and some utensils. "I'm just glad you have an actual appetite this morning," he says before going back to the stove to make more pancakes.

She rolls her eyes. "Your phone's ringin', Coop. I wonder who that could be."

He sighs and runs into the bedroom to grab it. He answers it and then walks back into the kitchen.

"Let me guess, it was Violet."

He nods. "I called earlier this morning, but she didn't answer. She was just calling me back." He pauses. "She had a rough morning. She was ok until Lucas asked where his daddy was."

"Oh." She pauses. "Is she better now?"

"No." He pauses. "I'm gonna go check on her before I go into work. The nanny still agreed to watch Lucas, even with Violet there, so at least she won't have to worry about him. She's a shrink, but she's finding it difficult to tell Lucas that his daddy is never coming home in a way that he understands. He's only three, after all."

She nods. "It was hard enough explainin' it to Mason and he's nine."

"I'm gonna head out now." He pauses. "1:30—I haven't forgotten." He gives her a quick peck on the lips. "You really do look beautiful, sweetie."

"Thank you, but that still doesn't make me forget about last night."

He sighs and puts the rest of the pancakes on a plate. "I'll see you later." He kisses her again and leaves the apartment.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews :)_

_(For those who read my other story, I Need You, the last chapter was the epilogue, but if you want a final final chapter about the birth of the baby or one set in the future, let me know. I'd be happy to write it)_


	13. Chapter 13

Charlotte's sitting in the waiting room at a woman's clinic downtown, reading a magazine, trying to keep herself from looking at the clock.

The door opens and a nurse walks out with a clipboard. "Charlotte King."

She lets out a breath and stands up. She turns her head towards the entrance and crosses her arms over her chest. "Made it by the skin of your teeth, Freedman."

Cooper wipes the sweat from his brow and sighs.

"Come on."

He nods and follows her back to the exam room. "And for the record, I was with a patient at the hospital. I wasn't with Violet."

She changes into a gown and hops up on the exam table. "I honestly don't care where you were or who you were with, Coop. I care that you made it to the appointment." She shifts, pulling down her gown.

He presses his lips against hers and brushes his hand against her neck as he kisses her. He pulls back and smiles. "How's your day been?"

She shrugs. "I couldn't focus on anythin' but this appointment." She leans back on the table and closes her eyes. "I'm hopin' for the best, but I've prepared for the worst."

He sighs and sits on the edge of the exam table, facing her. He offers her an encouraging smile, but keeps his mouth shut. There's not much he can say to comfort her and odds are, he'll say the wrong thing and make her even more agitated.

Her hand goes to her stomach, mindlessly, and she stares at the black of her eyelids. "I had a dream about Billy last night," she says, trying to focus on something other than the baby.

He coughs. "Ex-husband Billy?"

"Mmhmm."

"Are you gonna tell me what it was about?"

She swallows. "I was standin' in the bedroom, holdin' a baby doll wrapped in a blanket, lookin' at him as he cheated on me. I just stood there, like I was watchin' a movie. All that was missin' was the big bucket of popcorn."

He stands up and raises an eyebrow. "Free porn?" He laughs.

She slaps him. "Watchin' your husband cheat on you, doesn't exactly put you in the mood." She sighs and opens her eyes.

"I'm not gonna cheat on you, Char, if that's what that dream was about."

She shrugs, not really sure what it meant.

The door opens and the doctor walks in, his face buried in a chart. "Hello, Charlotte." He looks up. "I'm Dr. Davis."

"Hello, Dr. Davis," she says, her voice quiet.

"How are we doing this cool May afternoon?" Dr. Davis is a little too enthusiastic for Charlotte's taste.

"We're doin' fine."

Dr. Davis sits on the stool and spins around. "I've had two and a half cans of red bull, so I apologize if I'm extra hyper. I'm not normally this over the top."

She nods. "Hadn't noticed," she lies.

Dr. Davis sticks his pen behind his ear and smiles. "This is your first pregnancy, correct?"

She nods. "Yes."

Dr. Davis stands up and opens her gown. "How's the pregnancy going so far?"

"It's been ok."

Dr. Davis feels her stomach and then checks out her breasts.

Cooper cringes. Something about another man feeling his wife's boobs doesn't sit well with him, even if the other man is a doctor.

Charlotte winces and sucks in air. "Ah."

Dr. Davis drops his hands and sits back down on the stool. "How's the morning sickness?"

"I think it's almost gone. I'm still nauseous, but this mornin' was the first mornin' I didn't vomit my guts out, and I was actually hungry for the first time in weeks."

"I can attest to that. She ate four pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries."

"Three and a half," she corrects.

"My bad," Cooper laughs.

"How are your other symptoms?"

"I've never been a good sleeper, but since I got pregnant, forget about it. I'm lucky if I get two hours in. I have normal exhaustion on top of pregnancy exhaustion, which is a lethal combination. That's gettin' better, though." She pauses. "Aside from the fatigue, my breasts are pretty tender still, some days I won't even let Cooper touch me 'cause of that, and I have to pee every fifteen minutes it seems, but I have noticed that the time between bathroom visits is increasin'."

Dr. Davis nods. "Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"

She shakes her head. "No."

"Let's get you weighed first and then we'll check out the little one."

She nods and slips off the exam table. She walks over to the scale and steps onto it. "Don't even think 'bout lookin' at it, Coop."

Cooper shrugs. "You're not fat, Charlotte."

Dr. Davis keeps the number to himself and scribbles it down in her chart. "Looking good."

She crawls back up onto the table and lets her shoulders drop. "Can we just do the ultrasound now?"

Dr. Davis nods. "Of course." He opens her gown and squeezes some gel onto her stomach. "Sorry, it's a little cold." He rests the wand on the small curve of her belly and looks at the screen. "When did you say your last period was?"

"I honestly can't tell you. The last few months have been hectic and stressful." She pauses. "Why?"

Dr. Davis shakes his head. "You're pretty far along." He pauses and studies the ultrasound more closely.

She stiffens and grips Cooper's hand. "Dr Davis?"

"Give me a second." Dr. Davis slides the wand upwards and nods. "I want my colleague to come take a look."

"Can't you read an ultrasound?" Her voice is shaky and her breathing is uneven, her whole body trembling.

"I want to be sure before I—."

"Give us devastatin' news?"

"Just sit tight. I'll be right back." Dr. Davis cleans off the wand and sets it down. He opens the door and walks out of the room and down the hallway.

"Sit tight? Sit tight? He wants me to sit tight? He's out of his freakin' mind if he thinks I'm gonna sit tight after he just looked at us like our baby has five heads or somethin'."

Cooper lets go of Charlotte's hand and steals a peek at the ultrasound screen. He blinks, a faint smile on his face, but it quickly fades. "Our baby doesn't have five heads, but—."

"What is it, Coop?"

The room falls silent as he looks at the screen.

"Cooper!"

He twitches at the sharpness of her voice and turns to look at her. He opens his mouth, but shuts it again.

The door opens and Dr. Davis walks in, followed by an older woman. "Charlotte, Cooper, this is Dr. Fenton. She's a neonatal specialist."

Dr. Fenton furrows her brow as she looks at the ultrasound screen. She looks at Dr. Davis and gives him a short nod.

Dr. Davis sighs in response.

"Enough! Just tell us what's wrong with our baby!" She's on the verge of tears and all her frustration is manifested into a deep scowl. She just wants answers and no one seems to want to give them to her.

Cooper's standing beside her, holding her hand. He's not exactly sure what he saw on the ultrasound, but it definitely wasn't normal.

* * *

_Review! _


	14. Chapter 14

Charlotte's glaring at the two silent doctors in the room. The wait seems like three hours, not three minutes, as she sits there, her knuckles turning white from squeezing Cooper's hand so tight. She had a bad feeling about this appointment since she found she was pregnant. She's been hoping she was only being paranoid because of what happened with Amelia.

Dr. Fenton shifts on her hip and takes another look at the ultrasound. She clears her throat and looks between Charlotte and Cooper. "The ultrasound shows that your baby has something called Gastroschisis. That's just a fancy name for saying that your baby's belly didn't close properly during development, so its intestines are protruding through the hole in the abdominal wall, near the umbilical cord." She pauses. "Don't panic. The belly doesn't close completely until thirteen weeks gestation, which means that your baby may be fine. You're measuring about fourteen weeks, but since you're not sure about your last period, the baby could just be measuring big."

Cooper blinks. "What happens if she's actually fourteen weeks pregnant?"

"This diagnosis seems scary, but once the baby is born, this condition is very easy to treat. Most babies only require one surgery to put the organs back inside; however your baby's intestines are exposed to amniotic fluid, which means that they may be damaged. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent that or know how much damage there is until after birth." Dr. Fenton pauses. "Charlotte, you'll be monitored closely throughout your pregnancy. You'll have frequent ultrasounds to make sure the baby is growing properly, and still viable."

Charlotte swallows. "Can I see—can I see the screen?"

Dr. Fenton nods and turns the ultrasound machine to face them. She points at the screen, but stays silent.

Charlotte squeezes Cooper's hand, trying her hardest not to cry. She has moisture accumulating in the corners of her eyes as she studies the screen.

Cooper tightens his grip around her hand and blinks away tears. "You're saying that the baby could be fine?"

Dr. Fenton nods. "It's possible, but if the baby turns out to have Gastroschisis, it's very simple to correct. Babies born with this condition usually don't have any other birth defects, so with surgery, most, if not all, babies have normal, healthy lives. At birth, your baby's condition will be assessed and a clearer prognosis will be made."

Cooper nods. "You're saying that if our baby was going to have something wrong with them, this would be it?"

"I'm not saying that exactly, but this condition is very easily treated, and most babies are perfectly fine afterwards."

"But everything else is normal? The baby's healthy otherwise?"

Dr. Fenton nods. "Everything else appears to be normal."

"Ok." He kisses the top of Charlotte's head and brushes his thumb against her hand. "It's gonna be ok, sweetie. The baby will be just fine."

Charlotte nods, not completely convinced.

Dr. Fenton wipes off Charlotte's stomach. "I'm going to take some blood and I need a urine sample from you, Charlotte, and then you're free to go."

Charlotte trembles and gives the doctor a slow nod. She gets up and walks down the hallway to the bathroom. She comes back a few minutes later and gets back on the table. She's silent as Dr. Fenton takes a vile of blood.

"I would like to see you every two weeks from now until your 28th week. Then we'll switch to one week visits until delivery."

Charlotte nods and takes the sonogram pictures from the doctor.

"You can make your next appointment at the front desk or call when you know your schedule," Dr. Fenton says and follows Dr. Davis out of the room.

* * *

Once the door clicks shut, Charlotte turns her head towards Cooper, sharply. "Do you think Addison can keep her mouth shut?"

Cooper raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

"'Cause she's the best and I need this baby to be ok."

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. I wanted to ask you why Addison isn't your OB."

"We talked about this. I don't want everyone findin' out just yet, and odds are, when Addison finds out that I'm pregnant, sooner rather than later, everyone else will find out too."

He nods. "I get that."

She sighs. "Um, there's another reason, an even bigger reason."

"What?"

She lets out a breath and shifts on the exam table. "The last time Addison was—." She swallows. "She's the one that, um, she's the one who—." She trails off again and blinks. "The last time Addison examined me—down there—was the night I was raped." She finally managed to get the words out.

"Oh." He squeezes her hand.

"I'm sure Dr. Fenton is a great doctor, who is completely capable of bringing our baby into this world safely, but I trust that Addison will do everythin' she can to make sure this baby is ok. I'm 100 percent confident that she can do this, I'm only about 95 percent confident that Dr. Fenton can." She pauses. "I'll just have to get used to it."

He sighs.

"I'll be fine. It's been over a year. Besides, she won't have to check me at every appointment unless there's a problem, so I should be ok."

"You need to let Addison know all this, Char. You need to tell her how you're feeling, why she wasn't your OB in the first place, ok?"

She nods. "I will, Coop." She pauses. "I really need this baby to be ok. Mason knows I'm pregnant, Coop. I can't—tellin' him that the baby died—I—he's had enough change and dealt with enough death this past year. I can't break his heart."

Cooper nods. "Dr. Fenton says that the baby may be measuring big and that the abdomen will close on its own in a week or two."

"If it doesn't?"

"I'm scared, but maybe everything will be fine—even if the baby has this condition."

"I wanna believe you, I really do, but I just can't. Between Erica, baby Ryan, and now Pete, I just can't believe that everything will be fine."

"We just need to relax and hope for the best. Stressing over this won't do anyone any good."

"I know." She pauses. "Did I do this? Is this my fault?"

He shakes his head. "Of course not, Char. Things happen. There was nothing you could have done to stop this from happening."

"So you don't blame me?"

He sits on the edge of the table and lifts her chin with his thumb. He brushes his lips against hers and squeezes her hand. "Absolutely not, just like I wouldn't blame you if the baby doesn't survive. You didn't do this, this is NOT your fault, and I will NEVER EVER blame you for this."

She wipes away some tears that have fallen and looks at him. "I don't know what to tell Mason. We can't lie to him, we promised we wouldn't do that again, but I don't know if I can handle seein' his face, seein' that look in his eyes."

"I'll tell him. When I pick him up from school today, he's bound to ask how the appointment went, so I'll tell him then."

She nods.

He kisses her again and gets off the table.

She swings her legs around and pushes herself up. She steps closer to him and wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.

He wraps his arms around her and sighs. He slides his hand up and down her back and hugs her. "I know you don't believe me, but everything will be ok—one way or the other, everything will be fine."

She doesn't want to let go. He's warm and he's comforting, but she has to get dressed and go to work. She has a busy afternoon ahead of her. She swallows and lifts her head. "We'll get through this."

He nods. "We'll get through this," he repeats.

She separates from him and takes off her gown. She puts her hand on her stomach and closes her eyes. She feels his hand touch hers as she takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. "Ok." She gets dressed quickly and glances down at the sonogram pictures in her hand. She looks at her watch and then at Cooper. "I have to get back to the hospital."

"Do you have time for lunch?"

"No, but even if I did, I'm not all that hungry."

He nods. "I'm not that hungry either. I just thought we could spend some time together. I'm worried about the baby and you always seem to make me feel better."

She smiles. "Sorry, but I'm really swamped."

He sighs.

"What about Violet?"

"I need you, not Violet, Char. She doesn't even know you're pregnant, so how can I talk to her about this? Besides, do you really think she'd want to listen to me talk about my baby when she's dealing with just losing Pete? Believe it or not, I'd rather be with you right now."

She smiles. "I guess I could push back my meeting an hour."

He shakes his head. "You don't have to do that. It's ok. I couldn't ask you to do that."

"I'll try to get home early if I can."

He smiles. "Try hard 'cause Mason's gonna wanna talk to you too." He kisses the top of her head and opens the door for her. "I love you."

"I love you too, Coop," she whispers and they disappear down the hallway.

* * *

_Please review..._

_thanks!_


	15. Chapter 15

Cooper's leaning against the car, waiting for Mason to come out of the elementary school. He feels sick to his stomach, thinking about the baby and the subsequent conversation he's about to have with his son. He stands straight when he spots Mason running over to him, his hands clutched around his backpack. "Hey, buddy. You have a good day at school?"

Mason nods and throws his backpack into the back. He hops in the front passenger seat and buckles his seatbelt, adjusting it. "Where's Momma?"

Cooper gets into the driver's side and settles into the seat. "She has to work, but she said she'll try to get home early tonight."

"Her doctor's appointment was today, right?"

_Here we go. _"Yeah, it was today."

"How's the baby?" Mason yanks on his seatbelt and scoots all the way back.

Cooper swallows the lump in his throat and blinks slowly. He shuts the engine off and turns his body towards his son.

Mason's face falls, his smile almost completely disappears. He knows something's wrong. His father isn't answering his question, he isn't smiling, he's silent and his eyes are a little red and glassy. "Tell me, dad. No secrets, remember? You said you wouldn't lie to me."

Cooper nods. "Your momma's doctor found something wrong with the baby. Its intestines are sticking out of his body."

"How is that even possible?"

"The baby's belly didn't close all the way, so his organs sort of fell out. The baby has a strong heartbeat and everything else seems to be normal."

"How can someone live with their organs on the outside?"

"Well, once the baby's born, a surgeon will stick the organs back inside."

"I mean, how is the baby alive right now."

"Oh. The human body is miraculous, Mase."

Mason sighs. "Could the baby die?"

Cooper nods. "Yeah, the baby could die. That's why Addison's gonna keep a close eye on your momma and the baby, and make sure that doesn't happen."

"But the baby could still die?"

"Uh-huh."

"But it's alive now?"

Cooper nods. "Uh-huh."

"Is momma ok?"

"She's scared, I am too. She was nervous to begin with, but this scares her to death."

Mason sighs. "I'll pray tonight—for momma and the baby. I just gotta try harder this time 'cause God didn't hear me last time."

Cooper runs his hand through his son's brown hair. "Let's go home."

"Do we have cake mix, dad?"

Cooper shrugs. "I don't know, why?"

"I wanna bake a cake for momma. Do you think that'll cheer her up?"

Cooper smiles. "Your momma's hard to cheer up, but maybe. Let's stop at the store and pick some stuff up, just in case there's nothing in the house." He pauses. "I'll make fried chicken for dinner tonight. It's her favorite."

"We gotta go fast. I want it to be a surprise, so don't tell her."

"I won't." Cooper lets out a breath and turns the key. _Ok, that was too easy. _"Even if it doesn't cheer her up, I know she'll love it."

"Come on, dad!"

Cooper laughs. "I'm going." He backs out and exits the school parking lot.

* * *

Charlotte's standing at a nurses' station in the ER, updating a patient chart. She looks up and sees Addison walking towards the far exit. She sets her pen down and rushes over to the redheaded doctor. "Montgomery!"

Addison stops and turns around. "Oh, hey, Charlotte."

"Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"If this is about Amelia, I don't know where she is."

"This isn't about Amelia. This is personal."

"Your office?"

Charlotte nods. "That works."

Addison follows the blonde and disappears into the office. She sits down on the couch and crosses her legs. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Charlotte shuts and locks her door and swallows. "I'm pregnant."

Addison's eyes widened. "That's great—it is great, isn't it?"

"Not quite." Charlotte pauses and sits down next to her friend and colleague. "I had my first prenatal appointment earlier and there's somethin' wrong with the baby. The doctor suspects that the baby has Gastroschisis." She lets out a breath. "I need to ask you if you'd be willin' to be my OB. I know what you're capable of, I've seen you work, so please, can you be my OB?"

Addison smiles. "Of course, Charlotte."

"But you can't tell anyone about this. Are we clear?"

Addison nods. "You won't be able to keep this secret for much longer."

"I know that. I'm not an idiot."

"Have you told Mason yet?"

"About the Gastroschisis or about the pregnancy?"

"Either."

"He was worried that I was gonna die, so I had to tell him. Poor kid thinks everyone who vomits or acts sickly or has a doctor's appointment, is gonna die. I don't blame him, but it breaks my heart." Charlotte pauses. "And I'm guessin' he knows about the complication 'cause Coop was s'posed to tell him when he picked him up from school unless he got cold feet."

"How'd Mason take the news?"

"He got silent real quick, but he's warmin' up to the idea. By the time the baby's born, he'll be in full-on big brother mode, I just know it." Charlotte smiles, but it fades fast. "If the baby makes it," she whispers.

Addison reaches over and grabs Charlotte's hand. "No if." She pauses. "I'd like to do an ultrasound now if you're available, just so I have an idea of what I'm dealing with. I'd rather not go into this blind."

"I have the sonogram pictures. Is that enough? I'm kinda busy."

"That's enough for now."

"My OB said she wanted to see me once every two weeks until my 28th week, then she wanted to see me once a week until I deliver."

"That works for me."

"Who the hell did we piss off?"

Addison raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" _That was random._

"We've talked about this before. I'm just sayin' that bad things keep happenin' to us. For once, I'd like somethin' good to come out of all this tragedy."

"There will be." Addison glances at Charlotte's stomach and back up to her face.

Charlotte rests her hand on her slightly bloated belly and blinks.

"I'm Addison Forbes Montgomery and I'm a double board certified neonatal surgeon. I will help you through this pregnancy, I will delivery your baby safely, and I will make sure that he or she lives a perfectly healthy life after surgery."

Charlotte smiles. "Welcome back." She laughs. "And thank you." She pauses and shifts on the couch cushion. "I'd have asked you earlier—when I first found out—but I didn't want anyone knowin' just yet and well, the last time you were down south was the night I was raped."

"I will need to check you a few times, but I'll make sure to distract you first—keep you talking. If it gets to be too much, just tell me to stop and I'll stop."

"I'll be ok—I think." Charlotte stands up and smoothes down the front of her dress. She walks over to her desk and grabs one of the sonogram pictures. She heads back over to the couch and hands it to Addison. "My OB said that the baby may be measuring big, so the problem may correct itself in a week or two."

Addison looks at the picture and nods. "Maybe. I've seen that happen, heard stories of that happening, but I wouldn't bank on that."

Charlotte sighs.

"Try not to stress over this, Charlotte. It's important."

"I'm tryin' not to." Charlotte pauses. "I have to get back to work."

Addison nods and walks over to the door. "I'll do everything I can."

"I trust you. I'm puttin' my life and my baby's life in your hands, Montgomery, so don't make me regret this." Charlotte opens the door and follows the redhead out of the office. She shuts the door and locks it. "Keep your mouth shut."

"Your secret is safe with me—at least until you start showing."

"That's all I need to talk to you about."

They walk through the doors and into the ER. Addison stops and looks at Charlotte. "How'd Cooper take the diagnosis?"

"He's scared, but he's tryin' to be positive. I've seen enough to know that bein' positive only gives you more heartbreak in the end, but to each his own."

"You need to focus on the baby, not the diagnosis."

Charlotte nods. "I'll pass that advice onto Cooper and Mason. Thank you."

Addison smiles. "Congratulations."

"How's Henry?"

Addison beams. "He's perfect. I definitely made the right decision. He is truly the only man I need—right now, anyway. Things change, though." She pauses. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." Charlotte turns her focus to the patient file in front of her as Addison walks out of the hospital.


	16. Chapter 16

Charlotte's wiped out by the time she makes it home. She walks down the hallway and sticks her key in the door. It opens before she gets a chance to turn the key. She steps back a little and blinks. "Oh."

Cooper smiles. "I knew you were there."

"What're you psychic now?"

He sighs. "What's wrong? You sound agitated."

"Just tired, warn out is more like it." She walks through the door and goes right into the bedroom.

He follows her and sits on the edge of the bed, watching her as she takes off her high heels. "Something happen at work?"

She shakes her head. "It was just a long day." She freezes and sniffs the air. "Fried chicken?"

He smiles. "You hungry? Mason couldn't wait for you to get home so he ate dinner already. I didn't 'cause I didn't want you eating alone."

She looks at him and smiles. "You made me fried chicken 'cause we got bad news today?"

"Comfort food. It's your favorite so I thought it would cheer you up." He stands up and walks over to the chair she's sitting in. He leans over and presses his lips against hers, brushing his thumb against her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. He steps back and places a soft kiss on the side of her neck. "Did it work?"

She shrugs. "Maybe a little," she says, a faint smile on her face.

"And Mason baked you a cake—all by himself. I watched him, made sure no egg shells got in the batter and that the cake baked all the way, but he didn't want any help."

"Mase baked _me _a cake?"

Cooper smiles. "It was his idea too."

That gets her to smile even bigger, her eyes welling up with a thin layer of tears. She grunts, cursing under her breath. "Every damn time!"

He laughs and lifts her chin. He lowers his head again and kisses her, her tears trapped under his palms. He brushes his thumb across her cheeks and kisses the top of her head.

She rubs her eyes and stands up. "Where is he?"

"In his room doing his homework."

"Heat up the chicken, I'll be in the kitchen in a minute."

He nods. "Did you talk to Addison?"

"Mmhmm. She agreed to be my OB."

"Good."

"Oh, and she said somethin' that helped me, I think it may help you too."

"What?"

"She told me to focus on the baby, not the diagnosis." She pauses. "Not sure if that's actually possible, but I'm still pregnant, the baby is still viable, and I need to remember that."

"Me too, and think Mason needs to remember that too."

"Um, back at the doctor's you said that you wouldn't blame me if I lost the baby, do you really mean that?"

He nods. "Absolutely. None of this is your fault, sweetie. When I said I do, I promised you that I'd be here, through sickness and heath, good times and bad, for better or worse, and I keep my promises no matter what."

She smiles. "Ok." She pushes her hair out of her face. "He really baked me a cake?"

"Yes."

"Is it any good?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. I didn't try it, but the kitchen smells like cake, so I'd assume so."

"I have to go to the bathroom and then I'm gonna check on Mason."

"I'll be in the kitchen." He smiles and walks out of the room.

She lets out a breath and disappears into the bathroom.

* * *

Charlotte knocks on Mason's door and opens it when she hears the faint 'come in'. She smiles at her son, who's busy writing at his desk. "Hey, sweetie."

Mason turns his head and smiles wide. "Momma!"

"Someone's excited to see me." She laughs and leans against his desk. She messes up his hair and shifts her weight. "Your daddy told you about the baby, right?"

He nods, putting his pencil down. "So it's true?"

"Yeah, Mase, it's true." She hands him the second sonogram picture. She points at the black and white photo and looks at Mason. "That's the baby's intestines. They're s'posed to be inside its belly."

"Yeah, dad told me." He studies the small picture and sighs. "The doctors couldn't save my mom, but I hope they can save my little brother."

"It could be a girl too, Mase."

"I know, but it's gonna be a boy. I can feel it."

She raises an eyebrow and then starts tickling him. "You can feel it, huh?" She tickles him more, smiling as he kicks his legs and giggles.

He nods. "Momma, sto—op." He squirms and closes his eyes.

She stops and kisses the top of his head. "How strong is this feelin'?"

"You can start buying blue stuff."

She smiles. "I think we'll hold off on that until we know for sure."

Mason looks down at the sonogram again and scoots closer to the edge of the chair.

She runs her fingers through his hair and watches him brush his thumb against the surface of the picture. "Whatcha thinkin', sweetie?"

He shrugs and turns his head. "Is there other things that can happen besides death?"

She nods. "The intestines could start to die, so the baby may never be able to feed properly. More organs could be involved, like the stomach. The baby may need to have more than one surgery, and although usually there aren't any other defects, there could be something wrong with the baby's heart or lungs."

He swallows. "Whoa."

"I don't want you worryin' 'bout any of that. You, your daddy, and I just need to keep focusin' on the baby and not all that scary stuff."

He puts his hand on her stomach and looks at her when she pulls back slightly. "Is that ok?"

"It's fine. Just surprised me, that's all. Go ahead."

He closes his eyes and smiles. "I know you can't hear me, but I'm your big brother and I wanted to say that I hope you're gonna be ok. Our dad and momma say that you'll need an operation after you're born, but don't be scared. The doctors are gonna fix you right up and you won't even feel a thing. Ok, that's all." He pulls back his hand and glances up at Charlotte. "What's wrong?"

She wipes away tears and shakes her head. "Nothin', Mase." She kisses the top of his head. "Finish your homework." She pauses. "And thank you for the cake."

His face lights up. "Did you have a piece yet? I baked it all by myself. Dad didn't even lift a finger. I did it _all _by myself."

"Not yet, but I will. I bet it's delicious."

"It is, momma." He pauses. "Don't tell dad, but I took a little piece earlier. He said it was for dessert, but I couldn't help myself," he whispers.

She laughs. "I won't tell him. It'll be our little secret." She smiles and walks over to the door. "Your daddy and I will be in the kitchen if you need anythin'."

"Ok, momma." He pauses. "Wait—are you ok?"

"No, I'm not, Mase, but I'm tryin' to be."

He gets off the chair and goes over to her. He wraps his arms around her and rests his head against her.

She swallows and completes the embrace.

He drops his arms after a couple minutes and steps back. He smiles up at her and lets out a long sigh. "I love you, momma."

She rubs her eyes. "I love you too, sweetie."

"Charlotte, you coming?" Cooper asks, his voice carrying from the kitchen.

She looks at Mason. "Come out when you finish your homework." She walks out of his bedroom and into the kitchen.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte crawls into bed and curls her body around Cooper, overlapping their legs and resting her head on his shoulder. She brushes her lips against his warm, scruffy neck and closes her eyes. "I'm exhausted."

Cooper puts his magazine on his bedside table and shifts on the mattress, getting more comfortable. He drapes his arm over her shoulder, resting his hand on the small of her back. His phone buzzes next to him and he reaches for it. "It's Violet."

She rolls her eyes.

He answers the phone. "Violet—wha—what?" He wrestles with the sheets and jumps out of bed. "Slow down, Vi, and breathe. What happened?" He switches hands and struggles to get his pants on.

Charlotte sits up and listens.

"I'm coming over—right now. Did you call the police?" He pauses, slipping into his sneakers. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in ten minutes. Just breathe and call the cops." He hangs up the phone and looks at Charlotte. "Lucas is missing."

She blinks. "What?"

"I don't know what happened. Vi's too hysterical. She's not making sense."

"Are you comin' back tonight?"

He rolls his eyes. "Are you really gonna be like that, Charlotte? Lucas is missing."

"I was just askin'."

He sighs. "I don't know." He puts his phone in his pocket and goes into the bathroom. He comes out a couple minutes later and hurries out of the room.

She sits up in bed and swallows. She's wide awake now. "Cooper, wait!" She jumps out of bed and runs into the living room.

He turns around. "What?"

"I hope you find Lucas."

He smiles. "I hope we find him too. Get some sleep, sweetie." He grabs his wallet and disappears out of the loft and down the hallway.

"Momma?"

Charlotte turns around and Mason's standing there, rubbing his eyes. "Go back to bed, Mase. I'm sorry we woke you."

"Is something wrong?"

"Lucas is missin'. Your daddy just left to help the police and the cops look for him."

"Oh."

"Don't worry. They'll find him."

"Today sucks."

"Hey, watch it."

"Sorry, but it does."

She nods. "You're right. It does suck." She sits on the couch and turns on the TV, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

"Can I stay out here with you?"

"Go back to bed. You've got school in the mornin'."

"And you have work."

She sighs. Damn_, he's good. _"Come here."

Mason walks over to the couch and sits down. He scoots over and leans against her. He closes his eyes and lets out a slow breath.

She drapes a blanket over him and kisses the top of his head. "Go to sleep."

Mason yawns and drifts back to sleep without any objection.

She smiles at him and watches TV until she falls asleep herself.

* * *

_Please review! _


	17. Chapter 17

Cooper turns onto Violet's street and comes to a sudden stop. He puts the car in park and gets out. He walks over to where Lucas is sitting in the grass, picking at it. He sits down beside the three year-old and smiles. "Hey, Lucas. Your mommy's worried about you."

"I look for daddy," Lucas says, his blanket and red fire truck in his hand. "I can't find him."

Cooper sighs and scoops him up, setting him on his lap. He runs his fingers through the little boy's red hair and kisses the back of his head. "Has your mommy talked to you?"

Lucas shakes his head.

"Your mommy really should tell you this herself, but she doesn't know how and you need to know." Cooper pauses. "See those stars up there?"

Lucas nods. "Shiny, twinkly."

"Uh-huh. Well, there's a place right past those stars called heaven, and that's where your daddy is."

"Take me."

"I can't take you there, but you can close your eyes and go there yourself. I bet you'll be able to see your daddy if you do that." Cooper pauses. "Your daddy's up there, sleeping on the fluffiest cloud."

"He come back?"

"No, sweetie."

"He fall down?"

Cooper nods. "Uh-huh." He puts Lucas' hand on his chest and looks at him. "You feel that?"

Lucas nods. "Bah-bump, bah-bump."

"That's my heart. Your daddy's heart stopped bah-bumping and he fell down. The angels took him up in the sky past all those stars and rested him on a cloud."

"He not come back ever?" Lucas asks again, tears in his eyes.

"No, he's not, but he loves you very much and if you close your eyes and use your imagination, you can see him again—for a few minutes at a time."

Lucas wraps his arms around Cooper and buries his face into Cooper's T-shirt, his hands clutching the fabric. Tears leak out of his eyes and he's shaking, soft whimpering sounds coming from the small child.

Cooper sighs and holds him tight against him. He's not sure how much Lucas actually understands, but what's clear is he knows that his daddy is never coming back.

Lucas sniffles and closes his eyes.

Cooper shifts and stands up. He brushes his lips against Mason's forehead and wipes away some fresh tears. "Let's go home and see mommy. She's probably got the whole neighborhood looking for you." He adjusts Lucas and buckles him into the backseat. He drives slowly because the little boy isn't in a booster seat. He pulls into Violet's driveway, a couple cop cars already there, their lights flashing. He gets out and unbuckles the sleeping little boy from the backseat, cradling him in his arms. He smoothes down Lucas' red hair and carries him inside.

Violet jumps up when she sees Cooper enter the living room. She runs over to him and takes her son from her best friend's arms. "How—where—is he ok?"

Cooper presses his finger to his lips. "Shhh. He's sleeping."

Violet brings her son upstairs and tucks him into his bed. She stays with him for a few minutes, tears falling from her eyes, her heart still racing, her breathing nowhere near normal. She kisses him and then walks out of the room.

* * *

Cooper's sitting on the couch, telling the police what happened. He walks them out and goes back into the living room just as Violet's walking down the stairs. "Lucas is fine, Vi."

Violet swallows. "Where was he?"

"On the corner, picking grass. He was looking for Pete."

"I didn't tell him yet. I couldn't."

"Don't worry. I told him. He's gonna need you when he wakes up, but he knows that his daddy's not coming home."

"Thank you."

"I know you should have been the one to tell him, but I also know that you're not ready for that yet. He needed to know, so I thought I'd help you out." He sits on the couch and pats the cushion beside him.

She takes a seat and leans against him.

He hooks his arm around her back and kisses the top of her head. "It's gonna be ok, Vi." He pauses. "Are you having a funeral for Pete?" He pauses. "I think you should. It'll give Lucas a chance to say goodbye."

"I have to call Pete's brother tomorrow and let him know what happened. I know they weren't close, but that's the only family he had, so I need to tell him."

"I'm here to help. Just let me know what you need."

"I'll let you know, but I think I need to take care of this myself."

He rubs her hip and kisses the top of her head again. "Nevertheless, I'm here for you."

"I know that, Coop."

"I don't know how you're so put together right now. If Charlotte—I don't think I could be this strong."

"Oh, I'm a mess, Coop. Trust me. I'm a mess. I'm pissed, I'm confused, I'm angry, but I have Lucas, so I have to make this seem as normal as possible for him."

"It's only been two days, Vi. You gotta let yourself lose it a few times. Holding it in isn't good for you—you know that."

She nods. "I know and believe me, I'm not holding it in. I spent all night locked in the bathroom, laughing, not sure if this was real or not. The laughing turned into crying, which then turned into screaming."

He sighs and spends the next two hours on the couch with her.

* * *

At 11:30, Cooper shifts and looks at Violet, who's leaning against him watching TV. "Are you hungry?"

"No." Violet pauses. "Go home to your wife, Coop. I'm ok. I think I'm gonna sleep in Lucas' room and just watch him sleep like I used to do when he was a baby—before I went all certified nutso."

He laughs. "You sure?"

"I'm sure."

He separates from her and stands up. "It's gonna be ok."

"Thank you for finding Lucas."

"You're welcome. I'm glad we found him and I'm glad he just ran off and didn't get taken. That's the last thing we need." He gives Violet a quick hug when she stands up. "I'll stop by tomorrow morning. I'll bring you some coffee."

"Coop, please, you don't have to do this. I'm sure Charlotte wants you at home with her in the morning."

"She'll understand."

"Cooper, I appreciate all this, I do, and you're my best friend, but you need to think about your wife too."

He sighs. "I am."

"Forget the coffee. I'm gonna spend the day with my son, doing whatever he wants to do. Call if you want and I'll call you if I need you."

"Ok." He smiles. "Goodnight, Vi."

"Goodnight and thank you again."

"You're welcome." He leaves the house and gets back in his car. He lets out a breath and heads home.

* * *

Cooper unlocks the door to the loft and smiles when he walks in. He quietly puts his keys in the basket by door and walks through the living room and into the bedroom.

Charlotte stirs and opens her eyes. "Coop?"

He turns around. "I found Lucas."

She lets out a breath. "Good, I'm glad."

"No one took him. He walked off by himself. He was looking for Pete."

"Poor kid." She rubs her eyes and yawns. "How's Violet?"

"She's doing ok, working through it the best she can, trying to be strong for Lucas. I'd have stayed longer, but Violet told me to come home, so—."

"So it wasn't your idea?"

He sighs. "No," he confesses. "But it's not that I didn't want to come home and be with you—."

"It's that you wanted to stay there and be with her more."

"That's not what I meant, sweetie."

"Don't sweetie me, Cooper."

"Don't be like this, please."

She stands up and drapes a blanket over Mason. She kisses him on the forehead and walks past Cooper and into the bedroom. "I'm goin' back to bed."

"Charlotte, please."

She whips around. "What?"

"It's not that I didn't want to come home and be with you or that I wanted to stay there and be with her more, Char. I just didn't think Violet would be ok by herself. She's needy and you're an independent person."

"So you thought I didn't need you?" She paused. "Just so you know, I did need you."

He sighs. "Why?"

"Do I need a reason to need my husband?"

"That's not what I mean. I mean, what happened?"

She sits on the edge of the bed and looks up at him, her hand resting on her stomach. "I had a dream about the baby."

"A bad dream?"

"What do you think, Cooper?"

He walks into the bedroom and sits beside her. "How can I help?"

"You can't. I'm fine." She stands up and disappears into the bathroom. She walks out and crawls right into bed. "Coop?"

He turns his head. "What is it?"

"Come here."

He scoots up towards the pillows and pulls her into a hug. He kisses the top of her head as she nuzzles into him. "I'm sorry."

She nods and closes her eyes. "I may not say it all the damn time or even look like I need you, Coop, but that doesn't mean I don't need you just as much as Violet does."

"I know. We've had this conversation before."

"And we're gonna keep havin' it until you get it."

He sighs. "You busy for lunch tomorrow?"

"Not that I know of, but that could change, why?"

"'Cause I wanna have lunch with you tomorrow. Please?"

She smiles. "Ok, fine. We can do lunch tomorrow."

"I love you."

She lets out a breath. "I love you too," she whispers and tilts her head back, pressing her lips against his. She breaks the kiss and scowls. "You're runnin' out of chances, Coop."

"I know. I'll try harder." He kisses her back and settles into the mattress. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams—only."

"Night, Coop." She pauses. "Whether it was Violet's idea or yours, I'm glad you're home."

"Me too. I love Violet, but her cuddles just aren't the same as yours." He smiles and closes his eyes.

"They better not be." She laughs, but he knows she's being 100 percent serious.

* * *

_Please review..._


	18. Chapter 18

A week later, Charlotte's standing in her office, putting some books on her shelf when there's a faint knock on her door. She turns her head and her eyes widen. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I don't get a hello, a how are you? You go straight for 'where the hell have you been'?"

Charlotte nods. "Um, yeah. No one has heard from you since last Friday. We were worried about you."

Amelia shrugs. "I meant to call, but I didn't have service in Mexico."

"Say what?"

"I went to Mexico." Amelia sits down on the couch and lets out a breath. "Did you miss me?"

Charlotte sits on the coffee table and looks at her friend. "You're kiddin' me, right?"

"Oh, you didn't miss me. That's cool."

"I was worried about you, Amelia, and you're tellin' me you were tannin' on a beach somewhere in Mexico? Addison hasn't heard from you, she's been worried too. At least give us a little warnin' before you hop on a plane and disappear. You remember the last time you just took off? You were gone for twelve days on a drug binge. So forgive me for thinkin' that you were in trouble."

"Relax, Charlotte. I'm fine."

"Jumpin' on a plane to Mexico isn't what I'd call bein' fine." Charlotte pauses. "Are you high?"

"Right this second? No."

"Please tell me you didn't—Amelia, please tell me you're still clean and sober 'cause I swear if you're—."

"Take a chill pill, Charlotte. I had a shot or two while I was in Mexico, but—."

Charlotte stands up and paces. "You're kiddin'. You better be kiddin'."

"It was one, two, maybe three shots."

"Yeah 'cause you can really stop at three shots, Amelia. We've been here before."

Amelia laughs.

"What's so funny?"

Amelia laughs even harder, her eyes watering. "You should see your face right now. Priceless. I haven't had a single drink since I went to rehab, so relax. I haven't gotten high since then either." She laughs again. "I have more willpower than that."

"That wasn't funny."

"But your face sure was."

"Amelia, this isn't a joke!"

"Whoa. Cooper not giving you any or something?"

"Ok, what is goin' on? What's up?"

Amelia sighs and leans back on the couch. "I thought getting away would be good, but it wasn't—not really. It didn't help that I was staying at the same hotel as a bride and groom and their entire wedding party. It just made me miss Ryan more, and then that got me thinking about the baby, and all I wanted to do was drink and score some pills. Mexico isn't the greatest place for a recovering addict."

Charlotte shakes her head. "No."

"I needed to get away, but Mexico wasn't the best choice."

Charlotte switches places, sitting beside Amelia on the couch. She turns her body towards her friend and rests her hand on Amelia's knee. "So you've missed quite a lot here." She pauses. "Pete passed away."

"What?"

"Tuesday mornin'. His heart gave out."

"Wow, that's horrible."

"Uh-huh."

Amelia's eyes widen. "Holy smokes, Charlotte."

"What?"

"Damn."

"What?"

"Your boobs—they're huge!"

Charlotte quickly closes her jacket and swallows. "Oh, um—."

"Geez, you could knock someone out with those puppies."

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "You wanna take an early lunch and go to a meetin'?"

"I've got a lot of paperwork and crap I've gotta do. I just stopped by to get it and to let everyone know I'm not dead."

"That was thoughtful of you, but you're a week and a half late."

Amelia laughs. "Sorry about that." She pauses. "How's Violet?"

"Ask Cooper. He spends all his free time with the broad."

"I can't believe it."

"Life is short." Charlotte stands up and walks over to her desk. "I'm glad you're ok."

"I'm not ok, but I'm getting there."

"Let me know if you change your mind. I could really use a meetin'. I'm goin' later, with or without you."

"I'll think about it." Amelia gets up and walks out of the Charlotte's office, heading towards the kitchen.

Charlotte sighs and shifts on her office chair. She looks down and adjusts her bra. It's a little snug and she'll need to buy a new one sooner rather than later. _Good thing I decided to wear my loose blouse this mornin' instead of the sweater 'cause otherwise, my boobs wouldn't have been the only thing she noticed._

* * *

Around lunch time, Cooper knocks on Charlotte's office door and walks in. "You know Amelia's here, right?"

Charlotte looks up and nods. "She stopped by earlier."

"She looks good."

"Mmhmm."

"You ok?" He asks, switching the file from his right hand to his left.

She sighs. "I actually wanna tell Amelia about the baby, but I can't. It's killin' me that I have to keep this secret from my friend, but I have to. Secrets suck."

He laughs. "That's why we don't have any." He smiles. "Why don't you just tell her, then? Nothing good comes from keeping secrets."

"It's complicated, Coop." She pauses and pushes herself up. "Just let me have this one secret."

"Sometimes keeping a secret is worse than telling the truth, sweetie."

"Amelia kept her pregnancy a secret for a while, so what difference does it make if I do?"

He sighs. "You do whatever you want. I'm just saying if Amelia's your friend, you should just be honest with her."

"Just let it go, Cooper. I'm done talkin' 'bout this." She breezes past him and walks out of her office.

"Hey, we're not done with this conversation."

"I just said we were, so we are done. Besides, I remember you giving me a speech about how you hadn't told Violet about the baby for a similar reason, so you can't talk." She pulls open her door, pushing it so it locks in place, and heads down the hallway, her heels clacking against the wood floor as she makes her way to the bathroom.

He slumps down in a chair and sighs. _Ok, she does have a point there. _

She comes back into her office and sits down on her couch.

He turns his head and smiles. "You can tell Amelia when you're ready."

She rests her hand on her stomach and gently rubs up and down across her slight belly bump. "I'm just stressed. I should tell her and get it over with."

There's a knock on the door and Amelia walks in.

Charlotte swallows. "Just the person I wanted to see."

"I feel special." Amelia laughs.

"I'm—I—I'm about to go to a meetin'. Did you change your mind?" Charlotte chickens out and shifts on the couch, glancing at Cooper.

Amelia nods. "I did. That's why I'm here."

"Great." Charlotte stands up.

"Wait, what about our lunch date?"

Charlotte sighs. "Rain check."

Cooper nods. "Alright."

Charlotte walks over to her desk and grabs her jacket and purse. "Let's go. I'll drive." She kisses Cooper on the top of his head and follows Amelia out of the office, Cooper heading out shortly afterwards.

* * *

**_Review! :)_**


	19. Chapter 19

On Saturday afternoon, Charlotte's sitting on a bench in the mall, pulling apart her soft pretzel.

Mason walks over and hops up beside her. "Dad got me a gumball."

She turns her head and smiles. "Did you get your bathing suit?"

"I got three, plus a pair of flip flops, and another rash guard. Dad's got the bag."

She laughs. "Saddle him with the bags, good boy." She yawns and shifts on the wood slats. "Where's your daddy now?"

"He's coming. I think he said something about getting a drink."

"Oh, ok." She pauses. "You need anything else?"

"I need new shorts and a couple more T-shirts. Oh, and can I get new sneakers?"

"Yours are kinda worn out. Pretty soon I'll be able to see your big toes pokin' through," she says, looking at his shoes. "Let's wait for your daddy and then we can go."

"Are you still tired?"

"A little and my feet hurt. Why?"

"'Cause this was supposed to be a family shopping trip. It's no fun if you're sitting down the whole time."

She smiles. "I just needed to sit down for a minute and refuel. I'm good to go."

"Good."

Cooper walks over to them and hands her a water bottle. "Here."

"I didn't ask for this."

"I know. I thought you could use some water."

"Well, thank you." She pauses. "He needs to get a few more things, and then we can get lunch."

"You need to get stuff too, don't you?"

She nods. "Mmhmm." She stands up and tosses her wrapper in the trashcan. "You want the rest of this? Either of you."

Mason and Cooper shake their heads.

She tosses the rest of her pretzel too and takes a sip of her water. She adjusts her bra straps and grunts.

"A new bra on your list?"

She nods. "That's the first thing on my list." She laughs. "I'll meet up with you guys. I have to go to the bathroom."

"Didn't you just go, momma?"

"I did, but now, I have to go again." She runs her fingers through his hair and walks off towards the restrooms.

* * *

Cooper rests his hand on top of Mason's head. "She's pregnant, Mase. There's a lot more blood flow to her bladder and the growing baby doesn't help matters much," he explains.

Mason sighs. "Is she mad at me 'cause I said that?"

Cooper shakes his head. "No, buddy, she's not. She's just frustrated. I asked her that last night and she almost kicked me out of the bed. Just don't question her next time."

He nods. "It was just a question."

"I know that and she does too. Don't worry about it."

Charlotte comes back a couple minutes later and they're still standing there. "Were you waitin' for me?"

"Momma?"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Did I upset you?"

"When?"

"Just now."

"No, Mase. I'm sorry if it came off that way. I'm just tired, frustrated, and stressed out."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just asking."

"It's ok, honey." She messes up his hair and smiles—a last ditch effort to convince him she's not upset. "Let's go get you some new clothes."

He smiles back and wraps one arm around her waist, giving her a quick hug. "Come on," he says, rushing ahead of his parents.

Charlotte laughs and looks at Cooper.

Cooper leans over and closes the gap between lips. He breaks the kiss and smiles.

She hooks her arm around Cooper's waist and shifts on her hips. "We're comin', sweetie. Go ahead of us. We'll catch up."

Cooper raises an eyebrow. "You ok, Char?"

She nods. "I'm fine." She pauses. "Be honest with me. Can you tell I'm pregnant? If you didn't know, would you guess that I was?"

Cooper steps back and looks her up and down. "No." He smirks. "But your boobs are bigger, your face is a little fuller, and if you were wearing something tighter, I could probably guess that you were pregnant or I'd assume that you were. Why?"

She shrugs. "I'm just trying to see how long I can keep this a secret."

Cooper twirls a piece of her hair around his finger and brushes his lips against her forehead. He smiles and kisses the top of her head. "Don't let this stress you out more. When you're ready for everyone to know, they'll know."

She nods.

"Guys, come on!" Mason pauses. "Please," he adds, turning back to face his parents.

She laughs and they follow Mason down towards the other side of the mall.

* * *

It's around seven when Charlotte walks into the door after going out with Amelia. She puts her purse and jacket on the desk and walks into the bedroom. She sits on the edge of the bed, letting out a long, exaggerated breath as she takes off her shoes. She looks up and Mason's standing there, grinning at her. "Hey, sweetie, what's with the grin?"

Mason shrugs. "Nothing. Where were you?"

"I was out with Amelia."

"What were you doing?"

"We grabbed a bite to eat and then we just drove around." She's not ready to tell him that she was at an NA meeting. That's not something you talk to your kids about, at least not when they're nine, have never seen you under the influence before, and had no idea that side of you existed.

"Dad was getting worried—that's why I asked."

"Your daddy was gettin' worried or you were? It's ok. You can tell me the truth."

He looks down at the floor and then back up at her. "Ok, maybe I was a little worried too."

"That was sweet of you, Mase, but you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."

"But you were upset when you left." He sits down on the bed and turns his whole body to face her.

"I wasn't upset. I was just tired. I'm even more tired now."

"Oh."

"You don't have to worry about me, honey. I'm pregnant, that's all. If I'm not here, that means I'm busy. Your daddy knew where I was and you've got my cell phone number in case you ever need me."

He nods. "Oh," he repeats.

"You're very sweet, but I'm ok, Mase."

He nods. "I know that _now_."

She messes up his hair and kisses him on the top of his head. "Where's your daddy?"

"In the kitchen cleaning up. We made personal pizzas for dinner and we got a little carried away."

"How little?"

"Dad started it."

"Started what?"

"Nothing. Pretend I didn't say anything." He jumps off the bed and runs out of the room.

She shakes her head and laughs. She pushes herself up and heads into the bathroom. She'll deal with them later. Right now she needs to take a long, hot shower.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting on the couch, sucking on the wrapper of her watermelon freeze pop, when the doorbell rings. She sighs and stands up, realizing that neither Cooper nor Mason are going to get it. She checks the peephole and then opens the door. "Um, Violet, you do know it's almost eight, right?"

Violet sets Lucas on the floor and nods. "I know. Is Cooper here?"

"I think he's in Mason's bedroom, helping him with his science homework. Why?"

"I'm having a rough night."

"Hence why you're standin' in our livin' room." Charlotte sits back down on the couch and smiles at Lucas. "Hey, Lucas, that's a pretty cool fire truck you've got there. Can I see it?"

Lucas lifts his head and nods. He hands it to her and smiles. "Here."

"Thank you."

"He hasn't been sleeping," Violet says with a sigh.

Charlotte runs her fingers through Lucas' red hair and presses a button on the fire truck. She blinks as the siren blares and the lights flash. She pats the couch. "Can you show me what all the buttons do?"

Lucas nods and crawls up. He takes the truck back and points to an orange button. "This button barks." He presses it and giggles. "Like a doggy." He pauses. "And this one moves the ladder." He presses it and watches the ladder rise up. He presses another button and shrugs. "This one—I don't know."

Charlotte laughs. "Maybe it's just for decoration?"

Lucas nods. "Uh-uh. It don't do anything. I press and press and nothing."

"Which button is your favorite?"

Lucas presses the green button that turns on the siren and lights. "This one."

"Mine too."

Lucas slips off the couch and puts the truck on the coffee table. He kneels down and pushes the truck along the edge of the table, pressing the green button over and over again. He stops and yawns.

"You're tired, huh?"

Lucas rubs his grainy eyes and yawns again.

"Come back up here, honey."

Lucas leaves the truck on the table and gets back up on the couch. He scoots closer to Charlotte and puts his head in her lap. "I miss my daddy."

"I bet you do." Charlotte drapes the blanket over his small body and runs her fingers through his red hair. "I lost my daddy a few years ago, so I know it's tough." She smiles at him and adjusts the blanket. "But you know what'll help you miss him less?"

"What?"

"If you dream about him, but you gotta go to sleep in order to do that." Charlotte pauses. "Just close your eyes and relax."

Lucas closes his eyes slowly and sucks on his thumb as he falls asleep, curling into a ball.

Charlotte strokes his hair and watches him sleep for a few minutes before turning her head towards Violet. "What?"

Violet shakes her head. "Nothing."

"Spit it out," Charlotte whispers.

"You're good with kids, you know that?"

Charlotte shrugs. "Hmm."

"You are. You give anymore thought into having one of your own?"

Charlotte swallows. "No," she lies. "Still tryin' to get used to the one I've got. Well, two if you count Cooper. I would." She laughs.

Cooper walks out from behind the kitchen partition and blinks. "Oh, Violet, hey. Everything ok?"

Violet shakes her head. "No."

"You want coffee? There's some cake left too. We can talk in the kitchen." He looks over at Charlotte.

"It's fine, Coop." Charlotte looks down at Lucas and brushes her thumb against his soft, wet cheek. "And Violet, I'll keep an eye on Lucas. I've got him."

"Where?" Cooper asks, not seeing the toddler from where he's standing.

"Shhh. He's sleepin', Coop. His head's in my lap. He's fine."

Cooper smiles and laughs. "I remember the first time you held him. You couldn't hand him off fast enough."

"Shut up."

"What? I'm just saying you've come a long way since then. It's moments like this that make me so excited for when we have our baby."

Violet blinks. "You're pregnant?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "No, Violet, I'm not," she says through gritted teeth, glaring at Cooper. "He's talkin' 'bout when we decide to have a baby. Right, Coop?"

He nods. "Um, yeah, that's what I meant." He pauses. "Come on, Vi. Let's talk in the kitchen." He walks into the kitchen and Violet follows him.

Charlotte shifts and rests her hand on her stomach. _Keepin' this secret is provin' to be more stressful than when we found out about the Gastroschisis. _She sighs and turns on the TV, lowering the volume a little. She lets out a breath and somewhere between the first commercial break and the end credits, she falls asleep.

* * *

_Just in case anyone else is wondering...I haven't decided on the sex of the baby and I haven't thought much about what's going to happen, so I am open to suggestions or requests_

_Anyway, please review. _

_Thanks! _


	20. Chapter 20

Charlotte opens her eyes and looks around. She's still on the couch, Lucas curled up in a ball beside her, snoring, sucking on his thumb. She yawns and brushes her hand against his cheek. She glances at the clock and her eyes widen. It's six in the morning.

Lucas stirs and opens his eyes slowly. He rubs his cheek and swallows. "Mommy?"

"It's me, Lucas—Charlotte."

He sits up and yawns big, stretching.

"Do you have to go potty?"

He nods.

"Ok." She gets off the couch and holds out her hand. "Come on, I'll take you."

He slips off the couch and grabs her hand. "Where's mommy?"

She shrugs. "I don't know, but I'll find out." She smiles and they walk into the bedroom, disappearing into the bathroom. She walks back out with the little boy resting on her hip, and goes into the kitchen. She nudges Cooper, who's asleep at the table.

Cooper jolts awake and blinks his eyes open. "Huh?"

"Good mornin'." She pauses. "Where's Violet?"

Cooper smiles at her. "Violet went home around one. You two looked comfy so I told her I'd bring Lucas home later."

She adjusts Lucas and looks at Cooper. "Why are you sleepin' in here? The bedroom's two feet away."

"I was in the middle of making a fresh pot of coffee and I must have fallen asleep." Cooper rolls his neck and cracks his back. "Did you sleep alright?"

She nods. "Mmhmm. The couch isn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but I slept."

"What about you, Lucas? You sleep ok?"

Lucas nods, his head resting on Charlotte's shoulder. "Uh-huh."

"Good." Cooper plays with the little boy's feet and smiles.

"He's hungry and I am too."

"What do you feel like?"

She cranes her neck and looks at Lucas. "Sweetie, you want somethin' special for breakfast?"

"Cereal."

"What kind? We got Lucky Charms, Captain Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios—."

"Cheerios."

"Honey Nut Cheerios it is then." She pauses. "Can you take him and pour him a bowl of cereal? My bladder's about to explode."

Cooper nods. "Does he need to go?"

"He went already, Coop. I just didn't feel right goin' to the bathroom in front of someone else's kid."

Cooper takes Lucas from her and smiles. "Wait, he went potty in the toilet?"

"Well, he didn't go in the sink."

"No, I mean, he's not toilet trained yet. Violet's trying, but he hasn't cooperated."

"Oh. Well, I asked if he needed to go and he nodded, so I took him. He was fine—relaxed." She pauses. "Can we finish this conversation in a few minutes? 'Cause I really gotta go."

"Go."

She rushes out of the kitchen and locks herself in the bathroom.

Cooper looks at Lucas and kisses the top of his head. "Cheerios, right?"

Lucas nods. "Yes."

Cooper stands up and walks over to the pantry. He grabs the cereal and pours Lucas a small bowl. He adds some milk and a spoon and sits down at the table, the little boy on his lap. "There you go."

Charlotte comes back into the kitchen and lowers her head, pressing her lips against Cooper's cheek.

Cooper turns his head and kisses her on the lips. "Good morning."

She smiles. "I can take over for ya if you want."

"I've got it. What do you want for breakfast?"

"It's a tossup between French toast and waffles."

"Tough choice." Cooper brushes Lucas' hair away from his eyes and smiles at him. "How's the cereal?"

"Mmmmm," Lucas mumbles, sucking on the spoon.

"I'm gonna take a shower while he's eatin'."

"Did you decide what you want for breakfast?"

"Waffles. We haven't had waffles in a while."

"I'll make them when he's finished."

"Thank you," she says before walking out of the kitchen again.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Charlotte's sitting on the couch with her head in Cooper's lap, rolled onto her side, watching _Phineas and Ferb. _It's a lazy Sunday, and she has no intention of making it anything other than that.

Cooper pulls back her hair, brushing his fingers against her warm cheek. "You still awake?"

She nods. "Mmhmm," she mumbles. She just doesn't have enough energy to tell him yes.

"Barely, I assume?"

"You'd assume right." She yawns and shifts positions slightly.

He turns his head and looks over at his son, who's sitting beside him, feet propped up on the coffee table, his arms bent behind his head. "You hungry at all, Mase?"

Mason shakes his head. "Not really."

She closes her eyes and breathes in and out slowly, fighting back another yawn. "I want a granola bar, but that would require me to get up off the couch."

Mason smiles. "I'll get it for you, momma. What kind do you want?" He pauses the TV and stands up.

"Oatmeal raisin, please."

Mason nods and disappears into the kitchen. He comes back with a water bottle and an oatmeal raisin granola bar. "Here you go, momma."

"Thank you, sweetie." She sits up slowly and smiles at him. "And you got me a water bottle?"

"I thought you'd be thirsty and dad says that you should drink a lot of water—even more now that you're pregnant."

"He's right." She untwists the cap and takes a few small sips. "Did you finish all your homework for tomorrow?"

Mason nods. "Yep. It's not that much 'cause school's almost over and the teachers get lazy and don't wanna grade all that stuff before summer starts."

She laughs. "And the end of the year is usually the most fun if I remember correctly." She scoots closer to Cooper and leans slightly into him. "I'm still waitin' for this energy rush I'm s'posed to get in my second trimester. I have more energy than I did before I knew I was pregnant, but I can't function like this."

"You haven't been sleeping that well lately. Once you get a few good nights of sleep, I'm sure your energy will increase."

"I guess you're right." She takes a bite of her granola bar and turns her attention to the TV.

Mason turns the show back on and leans back on the couch. "Ok, the show's back on so shhh—please."

She hooks her arm around Cooper's and rests her head on his shoulder. "Um, Coop?"

Cooper nods. "Yeah, Char?"

"Uh, eh, never mind."

"No, come on, say it," Cooper whines.

"Nothin'. It's nothin'."

"Charlotte."

She sighs. "I wanna start lookin' for a new place to live."

"Are you mad at me or something?"

She rolls her eyes. "A new place for _us_ to live, you idiot."

"Oh." Cooper pauses. "I knew that's what you meant."

"Course you did." She laughs. "I know this isn't exactly the best time to move, but there's just not enough space in the loft for four people. I don't care what you say, it's just not big enough. I want an actual house with a yard, a pool, more than one bathroom. We need to move."

Cooper nods. "As much as I love this apartment, I have to agree with you."

"I meant to bring this up a while ago, but I forgot and things have gotten so crazy lately."

"We'll talk more about this later."

She nods. "Ok."

"Guys!" Mason screams, startling them both. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, but this is a new episode and I'm missing it."

"It'll be on again, Mase." She pauses. "We'll try and be quieter, sweetie. Just relax." She shifts and gets closer to Cooper.

Cooper kisses the top of her head and smiles. "Take a nap."

She shakes her head. "I'm fine." She yawns and rubs her eyes. She finishes her granola bar and swallows another few sips of water.

Cooper laughs and leans back on the couch. "Gotta love lazy Sundays," he whispers to no one in particular and focuses on the cartoon.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews :)_

_glad you like this story!_


	21. Chapter 21

On Wednesday morning, Charlotte's leaning against the elevator wall. She didn't get any sleep last night, so she's barely functioning this morning.

The doors open on the building lobby and Jake walks in.

She straightens up and grunts. "I think the elevator's broken. I've been sitting here for five minutes now."

"It might help if you press the floor number."

She blinks. "I didn't?"

He laughs. "No." He pauses. "I'm guessing you're going up to the fifth floor."

She nods. "Mmhmm," she mumbles, a little embarrassed.

He presses the button and smiles. "Everything ok?"

She sighs and leans back against the wall. "Just tired and apparently, I'm losing my mind." She laughs and closes her eyes for a split second as the elevator shoots up to the fifth floor.

The doors slide open and Jake steps to the side. "After you."

"Thank you." She pushes off the wall with the ball of her high heel and heads into the practice lobby, sailing up to the front desk.

"Dr. King, your 10:30 is here."

"10:30? I don't have a 10:30 appointment today. My earliest appointment is at 11. I have a 10:30 appointment on Wednesday."

"Dr. King, today _is_ Wednesday."

She blinks and swallows, her cheeks heating up under her makeup. "Oh." She takes the pink message slips from the receptionist and nods. "Just give me a few minutes." She looks at Jake. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Riley."

Jake purses his lips and grabs his message slips. "Enjoy your morning, Charlotte," he says with a smile and then focuses on his messages.

She sighs louder and disappears into the hallway.

* * *

Charlotte's standing outside her office, searching through her purse for her keys. "Where the hell are they?" She mutters to herself.

Sheldon walks out of the kitchen and raises an eyebrow. "Charlotte, is everything alright?"

She whips her head around and glares at him. "Does it look like everythin's alright? No, Sheldon, it's not _alright."_

"Can I help?"

"You can help by gettin' lost. Try that."

"Are you looking for something?"

"My keys."

"Try your left hand," he says and turns around. "You're welcome." He heads down the hallway and into the lobby.

She looks down and rolls her eyes. She unlocks her door and quickly slams it shut again. She sinks into her desk chair and drops her head into her hands. There's a loud knock on her door, drawing out a groan from the exhausted blonde. "Go away!"

The door opens and Cooper's standing there with a white bag covered in grease in one hand and a plastic drink cup in the other. "You sure you want me to leave?"

She lifts her head and looks at him. Her eyes shift from one hand to the other and she smiles. "No."

He walks farther into her office and sets the bag and drink in front of her. "Two apple fritters and a peach green tea."

"Thank you." She peeks into the bag and takes a whiff of the pastry.

"Everything ok?"

She slams her hand on the desk. "Why is everyone askin' me that today?" She raises her voice, clearly annoyed.

He sighs.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little scatterbrained this mornin'. I forgot to press the fifth floor button in the elevator, I thought today was Tuesday, and I couldn't find my keys, which happened to be in my hand the whole time."

He smiles.

"Shut up. This isn't funny."

He walks around her desk and frames her face. He manually pushes her face towards him and tilts it back. He lightly brushes his lips against hers and then presses down, deepening the kiss. His fingers skim through her straightened blonde hair as he kisses her.

She curls her toes under in her heels and moans softly against his lips. She pushes him back and swallows. "I needed that."

He tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear and smiles. "I know."

"Thank you for this, but I need to familiarize myself with my first patient."

"Your 10:30?"

She nods. "I swear today was Tuesday when I woke up."

"Try to relax." He kisses her one last time and walks over to the door. "Enjoy your apple fritters." He smiles and leaves her office, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

It's almost three and Charlotte's at the island counter in the kitchen at work, sipping her green tea and eating her second and last apple fritter.

Cooper runs in and looks at her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She turns her head and raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I work here, Coop."

"That's not what I meant." He pauses. "You were supposed to pick Mason up from school a half hour ago."

She looks at her watch and swallows. "Damn it." She stands up, the stool falling back onto the floor. She tosses her garbage and takes a few sips of her iced tea. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

He sighs. "Mason called. He's fine, just bored and waiting to be picked up. It's ok."

"I have to go to the bathroom and then I'll go get him."

He wraps his arms around her and hugs her loosely. "I'm not mad."

She nods and completes the embrace. "I knew today was my day to pick Mason up. I even told him that 'fore I left the house this mornin'," she says against his chest.

He runs his hand up and down her back and then steps back. "It's really ok, Char."

"No, it's not, Coop. Who forgets to pick their son up from school?"

"Don't worry about it." He kisses the top of her head and smiles at her. "I have a patient."

She nods. "Damn it."

"Shhh. Don't stress about this, sweetie." He brushes his hand against her cheek and presses his lips against hers. He breaks the kiss and smiles.

"You should have reminded me!"

"Now this is my fault?"

She sighs. "No, it's all mine." She walks out of the kitchen and heads down the hallway towards the bathroom.

* * *

Charlotte pulls into the elementary school parking lot and spots Mason sitting on a bench, kicking rocks with the toe of his sneaker. She sighs and inches the car closer to him. She stops, putting the car in park, and rolls down her window. "Hey, bud."

Mason looks up and smiles. He gets up and runs over to the car. He throws his book bag into the back and hops into the passenger seat. "Hey, momma."

"Sorry, sweetie."

He buckles his seatbelt and leans back. "Did you forget?"

She nods. "I did," she confesses.

"I called you, but it went right to voicemail."

"I forgot to charge my phone." She pauses. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, momma." He pauses. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Mase. I'm just tired." She puts the car in drive and pulls away from the curb. "How was school?"

"Good. We played soccer in gym and I scored three goals."

"Wow." She smiles and changes lanes.

"Are we going to the practice, the hospital, or home?"

"Hospital. I have a four o'clock meetin'."

"Ok."

"You got homework?"

He nods. "Yep."

"Your daddy's gonna come get you from my office when he's finished with his four o'clock patient."

He nods. "Sounds good." He puts his feet up on the dashboard and closes his eyes. "I can't wait until school's over."

"I thought you liked school."

"I do, just not enough to want to go all year round. I like school, but I _love_ summer."

"Ah, I see." She pauses. "You wanna do anythin' special this summer? 'Cause you get the summer off, but your daddy and I don't."

He shrugs. "I don't know."

"Think about it." She pulls into St. Ambrose and parks her car. She gets out and looks at Mason. "Grab my purse for me, sweetie."

He nods and takes her purse with him when he gets out of the car. He opens the backdoor and grabs his backpack, swinging it over his shoulders. He jumps up on the cinderblock divider and hands her the purse.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He hops down and looks both ways before running across the strip of parking lot to the sidewalk.

She laughs and follows him.

"Can I get something from the vending machine, momma?"

"How about you get somethin' from the cafeteria instead?"

He sighs. "Fine."

She messes up his hair and they head to the elevator.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte's in the tub, chin deep in hot, sudsy water. Quiet instrumental music plays in the background and the lights are dimmed, casting a soft golden light across her. Her eyes are closed, and her body's still.

The door slides open slowly and Cooper smiles at her as he walks into the bathroom.

She cracks an eye open and shifts on the floor of the tub. "Is there a reason you're disturbin' me?"

He laughs. "Just checking on you."

"What makes you think I need checked up on?"

He shrugs. "You've been in here for a while and it's been really quiet. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"It's called relaxation, Coop."

He nods. "I'll leave."

"No, wait." She opens her eyes completely and turns her head to face him. "I have the afternoon off on Saturday, so I was thinkin' that we can start lookin' for houses."

"I'm free."

"I think we should bring Mason 'cause he's gonna be livin' there and he's old enough to voice his own opinion."

"Ok."

"That's all." She pauses. "Now leave."

"How'd the rest of your day go?"

"Better than the first half of it."

"I'm glad." He smiles and leaves the bathroom.

She slides down farther into the water and closes her eyes. She lets out a breath and lets her body relax again.

* * *

Review :)


	22. Chapter 22

Charlotte walks off the elevator on Friday morning. She's feeling better than she has in a while, so she actually has a smile on her face this morning. "Good mornin', Nora." She greets the receptionist and takes her message slips.

"Good morning, Dr. King." Nora focuses on the computer screen again, clicking away on the mouse.

Charlotte reads her messages and walks back towards the kitchen. She goes over to the counter and opens the cabinet above the coffeemaker.

Sheldon walks in and heads over to her. He takes the coffee pot and pours himself a cup.

"You have coffee downstairs, y'know?"

He nods. "This coffee's better." He pauses. "You want some?"

"Yes." She does want some, but she can't have it. "No, thank you."

"You're passing up morning coffee?" He pauses. "That could only mean one of two things. You're either pregnant or Cooper dared you to go a week without coffee. However, you've been forgetful lately, you're eating more frequently, and you've been moodier recently, so my guess is that you're pregnant."

The room falls awkwardly silent and she drops a bowl onto the counter.

He blinks. "Oh."

"Keep your mouth shut, Sheldon." She walks towards the refrigerator and grabs the milk.

"Congratulations."

"Shut up!" She screams through a clenched jaw and pours the milk into the bowl.

"Uh, Charlotte?"

"What, Sheldon?"

"I think you forgot the cereal."

She looks down and rolls her eyes. "Damn it." She grabs the container of cheerios off the counter and pours them into the bowl. "Don't start with me."

He shakes his head. "How far along are you?"

"That's none of your business."

Amelia walks in with Jake and grabs an iced tea from the refrigerator. "What'd you do, Sheldon? I heard Charlotte yelling all the way from the lobby."

"He's just gettin' on my nerves." Charlotte sits at the island and grunts. "Can someone hand me a spoon, please?"

Amelia opens the drawer and grabs a spoon. She gives it to Charlotte and takes a sip of her iced tea. "You and Cooper get into a fight?"

"No," Charlotte answers. "Coop and I are fine."

"Is it Mason, then?"

"No, he's perfect." She smiles. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"You've been tired a lot lately," Jake says, leaning against the counter.

"I don't sleep and I work a lot, so I'm tired, but that's none of your business." Charlotte finishes her cereal and stands up. She puts her bowl in the sink and walks out of the kitchen.

Amelia shakes her head. "She's been acting really weird lately. Anyone else notice that or is it just me?"

"It's not just you," Jake comments, reaching for an apple.

Sheldon shrugs. "I haven't noticed anything." He lies, knowing Charlotte will kill him if he tells everyone her secret. Plus, he cares about Amelia too much to say anything. "She and Cooper are probably having a fight. She just doesn't want to say anything to us about it. We are talking about Charlotte, after all. She's not exactly known for being an open book."

Amelia nods. "That is true."

Jake takes a bite of his apple and swallows. "She has been a little moody lately."

"Charlotte's always moody. She can go from hot to cold in less than sixty seconds," Amelia explains.

Cooper walks into the kitchen and grabs a banana from the fruit bowl. He looks around at his friends slash colleagues, and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"Did you and Charlotte have a fight?"

"Not recently, no. Why, Amelia?"

Amelia shrugs. "No reason."

"We're fine as far as I know, but it wouldn't be the first time she's been mad at me for something and hasn't told me she was," Cooper says, and then walks out of the kitchen.

"I'd love to stay and chat about Charlotte, but I have patients," Amelia says, walking towards the door.

"Are you ok, Amelia?" Sheldon asks, a concerned look on his face.

Amelia rolls her eyes and nods, turning around. "I'm not cutting into people's brains yet, Sheldon, but yes, I'm ok—better than ok. I'm moving forward or at least trying to. You keep bringing it back up and that doesn't help, so do me a favor and quit asking me if I'm ok. I am—period, point blank, end of story." She sighs and heads down the hall to her office.

Jake turns his head. "Don't push her, Sheldon. She's not ready. When she's ready, she'll talk about it—maybe." He follows Amelia out of the kitchen, walking towards the staircase.

Sheldon shrugs and leaves the kitchen.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting at her desk, leaning back in her chair, reading emails on her phone. She looks up and sees Cooper walking towards her office. She shifts and motions for him to come in. "Hey."

Cooper smiles. "You think you can pick Mason up after school this afternoon?"

"I can't."

He sighs. "Oh."

"Why?"

"I have a patient. He's only five and he's dying. His parents abandoned him when he was three 'cause they couldn't deal with him being so sick—the money, the time, the energy, it was all too much for them. I tried to convince them otherwise, but they just didn't listen. I could never imagine abandoning my own kid. Anyway, he's got no one and I'm pretty sure he's gonna die today. I need to be there, I need to be his family."

"Only five?"

He nods. "He's a strong kid, smart too."

"I'll see what I can do."

He smiles. "Thanks."

"I didn't say I would pick Mason up. I said I'd see what I could do. It's no guarantee."

"I know."

"I'm sorry about your patient."

"Me too." He pauses. "How's your day going? I hope it's better than mine."

She sighs. "Sheldon knows."

"That you're pregnant?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, you knew you couldn't keep this secret forever, Char."

She nods.

"Maybe we should make the announcement. Addison and Sheldon know. It's just a matter of time before everyone else knows too. Don't you want Amelia to find out the news from you, rather than find out from overhearing a conversation?"

"Yes, of course I do, but I don't think she's ready."

"Wake up, Charlotte. She's never gonna be ready. Amelia will never be ready. It's gonna hurt no matter when the hell she finds out. What? You think she's just gonna magically forget she had to bury her son a week after he was born?"

"Stop yellin' at me, Cooper. I don't have the energy to fight with you right now."

"I'm not yelling at you and we're not fighting. I'm just saying, there really isn't a right time to tell everyone you're pregnant. You just gotta do it."

"I'm not waitin' for her to get over it, Cooper. I'm waitin' for her to come to terms with it. That may never happen, but she still needs time to grieve."

He walks around her desk and kisses the top of her head. "Sorry."

"But you're right. I just gotta do it. On Tuesday, after my prenatal appointment, we can make the announcement, but I need to tell Amelia first."

"Tell me what?" Amelia asks, walking into Charlotte's office.

"I'll see you later, Char," Cooper says, brushing his lips against hers.

She sighs.

"Good luck, sweetie." He walks past Amelia and heads out of Charlotte's office.

Charlotte shifts on her chair and puts her phone down. She's not sure if she wants to lie and somehow get herself out of this mess, or finally come clean with Amelia.

"Tell me what?" Amelia asks again, breaking the silence, and sits down in the chair in front of Charlotte's desk.

* * *

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	23. Chapter 23

Charlotte shifts uncomfortably on her chair again, racking her brain for the words, but she's gone completely blank.

Amelia snaps her fingers in front of Charlotte's face and knocks on the desk. "Knock, knock. Anybody home?"

Charlotte blinks and focuses on her friend. "Huh?"

"What do you need to tell me?"

Charlotte nods. "Oh, right." She swallows and closes her eyes. She opens them and sighs, stalling. "I—I'm—I."

"I'm not a mind reader, Charlotte."

"I'm pregnant." _There, I said it._

Amelia leans back against the chair and blinks slowly. She remains silent, her breathing slow and controlled. Several minutes pass, and she still hasn't said a word.

"Amelia?"

Amelia swallows. "I have a patient," she finally manages to say. She stands up and puts a letter on the desk. "I got your mail by accident. That's what I was coming in here for." She walks out of the office and heads into the lobby.

Cooper pokes his head in. "Is the coast clear?"

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "Yes."

"Did you tell her? 'Cause there wasn't enough yelling."

She sighs. "I told her."

"She's ok with it?"

"Doubtful."

He sits on the edge of the desk and sighs. "Maybe she didn't hear you."

"She's not deaf, Coop."

"I was sure there'd be more yelling."

"She's in shock—that's the only thing I can think of. All she said was that she had a patient and that she got my mail by mistake. She was gone 'fore I could blink twice."

"Well, silence is better than being screamed at."

"Not really. They're both equally as bad. One is just quieter and easier on my headache."

He nods. "She'll come around." He pauses. "I have to get to the hospital."

She sighs. "Ok."

"Are you ok?"

She nods. "Mmhmm."

He kisses the top of her head and gives her a quick hug.

She hooks her arms around him and smiles. She separates from him and presses her lips against his, pulling on his shirt. "But you know what would make me forget about Amelia?"

He raises an eyebrow and swallows. He pulls back and sighs. "Damn it, Charlotte."

She laughs.

"We gotta make this quick—and I mean, a world record office quickie."

"I can work fast."

He swallows and hops off her desk. He rushes over to the door and quickly shuts it. He closes the blinds too and then goes back over to her, unbuttoning his shirt as he walks.

She smirks, her eyes focused like lazars on his belt and tightening seams.

"I said quick, woman, quick," he says, tossing his shirt off to the side.

She stands up and closes the gap between them. She pushes him towards the couch and then collapses onto the cushions.

He gets on top of her, straddling her, and hastily unbuttons her blouse. He lazily brushes his hand across her bra as he kisses down her neck, tracing her collarbone with his tongue. He adjusts himself and continues to kiss her, his hand sliding down her side. "Mmmm," he mumbles against her neck, smelling her light floral perfume and the faint scent of baby powder on her skin.

She pulls on his belt and tilts her head to the side, taking in a deep breath of cool air. She needs a distraction—from Amelia, from the problem with the baby, from pretty much everything—and this is the perfect one.

* * *

Charlotte's in the kitchen at home, making Mac-n-Cheese for Mason—he requested it. She's home before Cooper, which is a rare occurrence. She's a little distracted and upset, but she's trying not to show it.

"Momma, are you ok?"

Too late, she's busted, caught red-handed. _Damn, he's one perceptive kid. _She sighs. "I'm fine, sweetie."

"You're lying."

She puts the Mac-n-Cheese on his plate and hands it to him. "Give me the action figures, mister."

Mason puts his dinosaurs in her hands and picks up his fork. "So what's wrong?"

"Nothin' that concerns you."

"Maybe I can help."

"I don't think you can."

"Try me." Mason flashes her a toothy grin and moves the hair out of his eyes with one toss of his head.

"Eat your dinner."

The door to the loft opens and Cooper walks in, shutting the door with a slight slam. He walks right past the kitchen and gets into bed, burying his face into his pillow.

"Eat your dinner, Mason," she orders, and then walks into the bedroom. "Coop?"

Cooper rolls onto his back and sighs. "My patient."

She sighs. "I'm sorry."

He rubs his eyes and sighs louder. "He had trouble breathing and he just looked so scared. Now that I'm a dad, I think about everything differently. I'm starting to think pediatrics is too much for me."

"You've always had a soft spot for kids, Coop. You bein' a father has nothin' to do with it."

"Did you make dinner?"

"I got somethin' at the hospital. I made Mac-n-Cheese for Mason, though. He's eatin' it now." She crawls into bed and scoots closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. She presses a soft kiss to his jawbone and smiles. She slips her hand under his shirt and slides it up and down his chest slowly. "Amelia's ignorin' me."

"I'm not really in the mood to talk about that right now, Charlotte."

She sits up and looks at him. "Did you eat dinner?"

"I'm not hungry."

"If you change your mind, there's some Mac-n-Cheese left."

He nods and rolls over onto his side, facing away from her.

She rubs his shoulder. "I really am sorry 'bout your patient."

"I am too." He pauses. "Save me some of the macaroni, please."

She smiles. "I will." She pauses. "I told Mason I'd take him out for ice cream if he finishes all his homework early. You're welcome to join us."

He nods. "Just let me know when you're gonna go."

"It won't be for a while—maybe an hour."

"Ok."

She runs her fingers through his hair, brushing her thumb against his damp cheek. "This patient was harder on ya, huh?"

He shrugs. "Maybe it's 'cause our baby's sick. I don't know, but yeah, it was hard—harder than it normally is. It's never easy, but this case—there was nothing I could do to save him. Maybe that's why."

"It's always harder when there's nothin' we can do to help. I understand completely. I'm sure kids are tougher, but I get it."

He rolls onto his back again and smiles. "I know you do."

She lowers her head and kisses him on the lips. "Feel better."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Coop."

"And don't worry about Amelia, Char. How many times has Amelia given you the silent treatment? How many times have you given it to her? You two will be fine."

"I'm not so sure, but we'll see. I can't force her to talk to me, so I've got no choice but to let her cool down and process this." She gets off the bed and pulls down her T-shirt over her slight belly bump. "Come into the kitchen with us, Coop. Bein' depressed alone isn't any fun." She laughs and walks out of the bedroom.

He smiles and rolls off the bed. He changes into something more casual and a lot more comfortable, and follows his wife into the kitchen. No one can cheer him up quite like Charlotte can.

* * *

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	24. Chapter 24

Charlotte's up early the next morning. She's trying to get to work early so she can truly enjoy the afternoon with Cooper and Mason. She groans as she rolls out of bed. She rubs her eyes and disappears into the bathroom.

Cooper stirs and rolls over, going back to sleep.

She comes back out, showered and dressed for the day, her hair pulled up into a sleek bun. She walks out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. She needs an energy boost and since she can't have coffee, she's got to find something just as good.

Mason stumbles into the kitchen, looking more like a zombie than a nine year-old boy. "Good morning, momma."

She turns her head and sighs. "Sweetie, what're you doin' up this early?"

"I wanted to see you before you went to work."

She swallows. _Perfect, just perfect. _"Good mornin', Mase." She messes up his already messy hair and kisses the top of his head. She walks into the pantry and grabs an energy bar from the box. She reads the nutrition facts and then unwraps it. She takes a bite and grudgingly swallows it. "That's disgustin'."

Mason giggles.

She shrugs. "Oh well. All the good tastin' ones have caffeine in 'em." She gulps down a huge glass of orange juice and smiles at Mason. "Let's get you back in bed. There's no reason why you need to be up at six on a Saturday."

Mason smiles and walks into his bedroom, crawling back into bed.

She pulls the covers up and kisses him on the side of his head. "I'll be home a little after one, which is right around the time we have to meet the Realtor."

"We're really gonna move?"

"When it was just me and your daddy, this place was perfect—a little small and dingy, but it was fine. It was hard enough tryin' to squeeze you in here with us, but soon, there will be four people livin' here, and this place just isn't suitable for all of us. One bathroom, one and a half bedrooms—it's not big enough."

"You can put the baby in my room."

She laughs. "Trust me, you won't be sayin' that when he or she gets here." She presses another kiss to his cheek and adjusts the covers. "Go back to sleep, sweetie. Your daddy will fix you breakfast when you wake up."

"Have a great day at work, momma. Save lots of people and kick ass while you're at it."

She clears her throat. "Hey."

"Sorry—kick butt while you're at it," he corrects.

"That's pushin' it, but it's better." She smiles. "I'll try my best." She turns off his bedside lamp and walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She sighs and goes back into the kitchen, grabbing another power bar before heading out the door.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting in the ER waiting room, sipping tea, pretending wholeheartedly that it's coffee. One cup won't hurt, or so they say, but she's not taking any chances.

Addison walks over to her and sits down. "Rough morning?"

"My kid woke up at six just to see me before I went to work. I'm tired and I feel guilty to boot. Rough doesn't even begin to cover it."

Addison nods. "Trust me. I know the feeling. Having to say goodbye to Henry's little face every morning makes me want to reconsider my career choice."

"You can do whatever the hell you want—after you save my baby's life."

Addison laughs.

Charlotte stands up and tosses her empty cup in the trash. "Break's over." She pauses. "I'm tryin' to get home by one 'cause Cooper and I are finally lookin' at houses. We looked at a few last year, but now there's more of a need."

"Exciting."

Charlotte nods. "I want to be settled before the baby's born. We've run out of space in the loft. Cooper wants a big family, so he can't expect us to live in a clown car for the rest of our lives. That apartment was meant for one person, maybe two, but definitely not more than that."

Addison nods. "Just leave the heavy lifting to Cooper."

"I'll just let my boys handle the boxes." Charlotte smiles and walks down the hallway.

Addison takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before standing up and walking towards the nurses' station.

* * *

Charlotte finally makes it home at 1:30 and is met with disappointed faces. "I know I'm late."

Cooper sighs. "It's ok. I called the Realtor. She agreed to meet us at two instead, so you're fine."

She smiles. "I tried to be early, but I work at a hospital. You never know what can happen last minute." She pauses. "In my case, a guy walked in with a knife in his head and a bare trap on his hand."

"Ouch."

"Ouch is right." She crashes onto the couch and props her feet up.

Cooper takes off her high heels and sits on the edge of the coffee table. He presses his thumbs into her soles and slides up towards her toes.

Her shoulders drop as she lets out a pleased sigh. "Ah."

"Feel better?"

She nods. "Mmhmm." She tilts her head back and melts into the cushions. "Much better, thank you."

Mason hops up on the couch beside her and smiles. "How was work?"

"It was good."

"If you ask me, the whole knife in his head and bear trap on his hand thing sounds awesome!"

She laughs and opens her eyes. "Not for the guy." She shifts on the couch and jerks her foot back a little. "Watch it, Coop. That tickles."

Cooper nods. "Sorry." He rubs circles into her ankles bones and rolls her foot. He switches feet and then looks at her. "Do you need to get ready?"

She shakes her head. "No."

"Then I'll take my time." He focuses on her foot again and smiles.

She looks at Mason. "What'd you and your daddy do all day?"

"We ate breakfast and watched morning cartoons. Dad says they're not even worth watching anymore."

"Saturday morning cartoons aren't what they used to be, that's for sure, but it's the company, not the cartoons that count." She closes her eyes and lets out a breath, Cooper's fingers still kneading into her sore feet. "Don't ever stop."

Cooper smiles.

Mason stands up and grabs his 3DS. He sits back down next to Charlotte and powers the device on. He sits on his legs as he plays his racing game.

She cracks one eye open and watches him.

Cooper stops massaging her foot and stands up, joining his wife and son on the couch. He leans against Charlotte and brushes his lips against her cheek.

She looks at him and smiles. She closes the gap between their lips and lifts her hand, resting it on his cheek. She breaks the kiss and slides her fingers through his hair. She puts her head on his shoulder and lets out a breath. "Was your day just as magical as Mason's?"

Cooper nods. "Father-son bonding is always fun and magical."

She laughs. "You're not gonna fight me on this movin' thing again, are ya?"

Cooper shakes his head. "We need to move. Our family has outgrown this place—and that actually makes me happy. It's time to make new memories somewhere else."

She smiles. "Good—at least we're on the same page. Agreein' on a house will be a whole 'nother animal, though."

Cooper laughs, kissing the side of her head. "We might be able to agree on the house, but the location, not likely."

Mason butts in. "Do I get a say?"

"Within reason," she answers, looking at him.

"I want a pool and my own room—that's all."

"That's doable."

Mason smiles and goes back to his game.

She stands up and walks around the couch. "I'll be right out and then we can get goin'."

Cooper nods. "Ok."

She disappears into the bedroom and heads into the bathroom.

* * *

Charlotte walks into the front door of a house a walking distance from the beach. It's the fourth house they've been to today, so she's hoping this one speaks to her.

The Realtor steps farther into the living room and looks around. "This is a newly constructed property, so you would have to provide the furniture and it's not move in ready yet, but it's close."

Charlotte nods. "What are we talkin'? A month, two, three?"

"About three weeks."

"Oh, that's not too bad." Charlotte pauses. "Are the hardwood floors throughout?"

"Yes, except for the kitchen which has slate tile, the laundry room which has faux wood tile, and the basement which has stain resistance, durable, and interchangeable carpet tiles." The Realtor pauses. "It's around 4500 square feet, four bedrooms, and three baths." She motions for them to follow her into the kitchen.

Charlotte looks at Cooper. "Hey, Chef, does this suit your needs?"

Cooper laughs. "And then some." He runs his hand over the slate counter top. "It's nice—modern and big."

"All state of the art stainless steel appliances, thick dark wood cabinets," the Realtor explains.

"What do you think, Mase? You see yourself sittin' at the island eatin' cereal in this kitchen?"

Mason hops up on the stool and pretends to eat a bowl of cereal. He nods. "Yep."

Charlotte turns around and smiles. "I like that it's open to the livin' room. You don't feel closed off when you're in the kitchen like you do in the loft."

Cooper nods. "I agree."

"The kitchen opens out to the backyard. Do you want to check that out before continuing to the rest of the house?"

"Sure."

The Realtor opens the wide French doors and steps onto the patio.

Charlotte blinks and swallows. "Holy crap, this is beautiful." She looks at Mason and smiles. "How's that for a swimmin' pool, sweetie?"

Mason's not paying attention to her. He can't keep his eyes off the pool.

Charlotte runs her hand over his hair and laughs.

"That waterfall is also a slide," the Realtor says. "There's also a built-in barbecue area over there—all state of the art."

"Is there anythin' this backyard doesn't have?" Charlotte asks, trying to take in everything at once.

The Realtor laughs. "The landscape isn't quite finished yet."

"What's that?" Charlotte points to a small building off to the side of the property.

"That's a cabana slash guesthouse with one extra bedroom, a small kitchen and living room, and its own bathroom."

"That'll come in handy."

Cooper nods. "Definitely." He pauses. "Come on, Mase."

Mason pulls himself away from the waterfall and walks back over. "Do we have to see the rest of the house? 'Cause I'm in love."

Charlotte laughs. "Yes, we do. We can't base this decision on a slide."

"But it's a pretty cool slide, momma."

"I know." Charlotte messes up his hair and smiles. "Let's go check out the bedrooms."

Mason nods. "Ok."

They follow the Realtor back into the kitchen and she shows them around the rest of the downstairs. "There's one bedroom downstairs, which can be converted into an office."

Charlotte nods and then they walk up the steps. She opens the first door on the left and looks around. "It's pretty roomy in here. Are all the bedrooms the same size?"

"This is actually the smaller of the four bedrooms."

"Wow." Charlotte walks over to the bay window and sits on the cushion. She looks out over the ocean and smiles. She could get used to this view. "This would make a good nursery."

"The shades are remote control and hidden in the window, so you don't have to worry about messing with cords and all that."

"Instant baby proof—I like that," Cooper comments.

"Mmhmm." Charlotte stands and walks back into the hallway.

The Realtor opens the door across the hall. "This is the second bathroom. It's not quite finished yet, though." She shuts the door and continues down the hallway. She opens another door and motions for them to check it out. "This is the third bedroom."

Mason pokes his head in and looks around. "It's huge!" He runs around the perimeter of the room, jumping up on the platform.

Charlotte and Cooper follow him into the room.

"This is my room, right?"

Charlotte nods. "It could be." She pauses. "This is nice, but I wanna check out the master suite." She walks out of the room and heads down the hallway. She opens the double doors and steps into the empty room. "Cooper."

Cooper follows her and rests his hand on the small of her back. "This is like the size of our apartment."

Charlotte laughs. "Check out those ceilins."

Cooper tilts his head back and looks up.

Charlotte's already moved onto the balcony, looking out over the ocean.

"The views are amazing, aren't they?"

"Pretty spectacular, indeed," Charlotte says, completely entranced by the ocean view and the blue sky.

Cooper walks into the master bath and shakes his head. "I don't think this bathroom is big enough, Char."

Charlotte joins him and swallows. "Damn." She pauses. "Coop, we can both fit in that tub comfortably, I bet."

"Wanna test it out?" Cooper gets in the tub and stretches out, relaxing against the side.

Charlotte takes her shoes off and gets in after him, pressing her back against the opposite side, her legs overlapping his. "It passes."

"Mason could even fit in here," Cooper jokes and rubs her left foot.

"Don't do that 'cause I'm not gonna wanna move. We have more house to see."

"This is the best house we've seen all day, Char. I don't think we need to see any more of it."

"There are pros and cons for each house we've seen, Coop. This is a big decision. We have to really think about this. This is gonna be our first house together, it's important not to make this decision lightly."

Cooper sighs. "Fine, but I don't see any cons to this house."

"It's not finished yet—there's one."

"That's not really a con 'cause there's no need for us to move right this second."

"Humph."

"We'll talk it over tonight before we go and make any offers, ok?"

Charlotte nods. "Can we see the basement?"

"Of course," the Realtor shows them back downstairs and then down into the basement.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting on a park bench near the house they just looked at, watching Cooper and Mason running around and wrestling. She smiles and takes out her cell phone.

Cooper walks over to her, panting, sweat dripping down his face. He sits down with a thud and swallows. "Hey."

She raises an eyebrow, recognizing his presence next to her.

"You ok?"

She nods. "Mmhmm. It's just been a long day and my feet and back hurt."

"Which house was your favorite?"

"The last one for sure."

"Is there a reason you didn't wanna put an offer down on the spot?"

"I already told you why, Coop."

"If you love it and I love it, what's to think about?"

"We saw four great houses, all of which I could see us making into a home. There's a lot to think about. Just 'cause I love it doesn't mean it's a done deal."

He nods. "So there's no other reason?"

"Nope."

He smiles. "I already know which house Mason's gonna vote for—the last one. He's judging his choice on the size and cool factor of the pool. The fourth one takes the cake on that one. The first didn't have a pool, only private beach access, the second one had a regular sized rectangular pool, and the third one had a huge pool, but it was pretty plain. The backyard wasn't all that great either."

She nods. "I have a serious question to ask you."

"Ok?"

"It's about money. I know that's a sore subject for us." She pauses. "All these houses are pretty pricey, and if you can't swing it, I can front the down payment."

He shakes his head. "It's no secret you have more money than I do, Char, but not being able to pay my share in the practice was a big wakeup call for me. I still like my toys, but I've learned how to save my money. I can pay for half the down payment. It's our home. I don't want you paying for all of it. That has nothing to do with me needing to be the man in this relationship—ok, maybe it does a little, but this is _our _home."

She lets out a breath. "I've been thinkin' 'bout that all afternoon. I was afraid to bring it up."

"You have and make more than I do, and I'm ok with that—I've accepted it. A husband's job isn't just providing for his family, it's protecting it too, and I'm pretty good at that."

She smiles and leans back against him. "I thought this conversation was gonna turn out differently. I'm glad it didn't." She looks at him. "You grew up. When the hell did that happen?"

He laughs. "Very funny, Char."

Mason runs over to them and hops up on the bench. "I vote for house number four—just putting it out there."

She kisses the top of his head. "House number four is definitely the frontrunner."

"Can we do pizza for dinner? Please?"

She nods. "I'm actually in the mood for pizza."

Mason smiles and puts his hand on Charlotte's stomach.

"Your baby brother or sister wants pizza for dinner."

"Can I skip school on Tuesday and come to your doctor's appointment?"

She sighs. "There will be plenty of other opportunities for you to come to one of my appointments, Mase—when school is out for summer."

"So I can't skip school?"

"Not a chance, mister." She hooks her arm around him and laughs. "You got a test or somethin' you wanna get out of?"

"How'd you know?"

"I was a third grader once."

"Yeah, a long time ago."

"Watch it. It wasn't that long ago."

Mason wiggles out of Charlotte's grip and stands up. "Do we have to go home yet? 'Cause there's this sprinkler thing over there and I really wanna run through it."

"Give me your shirt."

Mason pulls off his T-shirt and hands it to her. "Now can I go?"

Cooper messes up his son's hair. "Let's go." He looks at Charlotte. "You wanna come?"

"I'm wearin' silk, Coop, and I'm not 'bout to take off my shirt."

"Party-pooper."

"I take back that thing I said about you growin' up."

Cooper laughs. "Suit yourself." He turns his focus to Mason. "I'll race you there—on the count of three." He pauses. "One, two—."

Mason takes off towards the sprinklers.

"Hey!" Cooper grunts and follows his son.

She just shakes her head and leans back on the bench. She rests her hand on her stomach and laughs. "Good luck," she whispers and closes her eyes, trying to relax.

* * *

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	25. Chapter 25

At 9:30 on Tuesday morning, Charlotte's sitting on an exam table at the practice. She's staring at the blank screen of the ultrasound, taking in and letting out short and controlled breaths. She's numb and withdrawn. She could hardly sleep last night because she kept thinking about this appointment. She's been relatively ok since the diagnosis, but last night and this morning, she's been a wreck.

The door opens and Cooper walks in. He smiles, but quickly sighs. "Sweetie?"

She turns her head and raises an eyebrow. "Hmmm?"

"Nervous?"

She nods, knowing she can't possibly hide anything from him—it's a curse and a blessing at the same time. "And I'm still a little jittery from when Addison took blood."

He laughs.

"Shut your mouth."

He rests his hand on her shoulder and squeezes gently. He rubs his thumb against her skin and kisses the top of her head.

She sighs. "I need to relax."

He nods. "Yeah, you do." He pauses. "What can I do to help?"

She shrugs.

"It's gonna be ok." He pauses. "I have a six year-old patient who had Gastroschisis. She's got a small scar on her stomach that's barely visible. She's fine—no other complications, no other medical issues. You'd never know her intestines were once outside her body."

"That actually made me feel better."

He smiles. "I thought it might."

She shifts on the exam table and takes his hand, tightening her grip slightly.

Addison opens the door and walks into the room. "Disregard the very pregnant woman squatting in the hallway. She's trying to kick-start labor."

Cooper nods. "I almost ran into her. Actually, she almost ran into me." He pauses. "Does that actually work?"

"Squatting is used to help the baby descend."

"This may seem like a stupid question, but will she need to have a C-section? I mean the baby's organs are outside its body, that seems like it would make delivering vaginally difficult."

"That's not a stupid question at all. Unless there's a problem, mainly with the baby's heart rate recovery during her contractions, Charlotte will deliver naturally."

"Really?"

Addison laughs. "We'll talk about that more as you get closer to your due date, but yes, really." She pauses. "Do you have more questions before we do the level two ultrasound?"

Cooper shakes his and looks at Charlotte, who does the same. "Nope."

"If you have anymore, don't hesitate to ask." Addison opens Charlotte's gown and squeezes some ultrasound goo onto her stomach. She presses a button on the machine and studies the screen.

"Addison?" Charlotte closes her eyes and squeezes Cooper's hand. She doesn't like the silence or the stoic look on Addison's face. It makes her nervous.

Addison turns the screen towards them.

Charlotte opens her eyes and looks at the ultrasound machine.

"Your baby definitely has Gastroschisis, and it seems like there is a larger amount of intestines outside the body than what I was hoping to see."

"Oh."

"That just means that surgery will have to wait until about a week after birth."

"Oh," Charlotte repeats, not knowing what else to say.

Cooper sighs, brushing his hand against his wife's cheek. "But the baby's still alive?"

Addison nods. "The baby's heartbeat is strong. Length and weight are on track for fifteen weeks gestation, which is great because with Gastroschisis there is a chance of Intrauterine Growth Restriction."

Charlotte blinks slowly. "Are we done?"

"Are you ok, Char?"

"I'm fine, Coop. I just have to go to the bathroom."

Addison wipes off Charlotte's stomach and nods. "We're done." She pauses. "I'll let you know the results of your blood test as soon as I have them."

Charlotte nods. "The baby's ok? I mean, aside from its organs being on the outside of its body?"

Addison smiles. "Yes."

"I can breathe again—thank you."

Addison writes something in Charlotte's chart and leaves the room.

Cooper sighs and wipes away Charlotte's tears that spontaneously fell from her eyes after the door clicked shut. "You sure you're ok?"

She stands up and glares at him. "What do you think, Coop? I'm tryin' to be ok. I'm not, but I'm tryin' to be. I'm hopin' for the best from this point on. I'm not gonna think about the Gastroschisis. I'm just gonna enjoy the pregnancy—as best as I can."

He smiles. "You're amazing." He pulls her into a hug and runs his fingers through her straightened hair. "And I love you."

She hugs him back and then separates from him quickly.

"What?"

"I have to pee." She squirms a little. "Can you untie the gown, please?"

He nods and stands behind her. He holds the knot in between his fingers and tries to untie it. "It's stuck."

"Damn it."

"Stand still."

"I can't," she says through gritted teeth. She pulls away from and grunts. "Screw it." She opens the door and rushes down the hallway to the bathroom. At this point, she doesn't care who sees her.

He laughs. "God, I love her." He picks up the newest sonogram picture and stares at it. For the first time, he sees the baby and doesn't even pay attention to the mess of intestines taking up a portion of the grainy picture. He grabs Charlotte's clothes from the chair, walks out of the room, and heads down the hallway to the bathroom.

* * *

Charlotte walks into the kitchen at lunch time and looks around. "What," she asks, opening the refrigerator door. "Why's everyone starin' at me?"

"Congratulations," Jake says, sipping his coffee.

She glances at Sheldon and sees that he's looking away from her. "Are there any secrets in this office?" She sighs. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag, so I might as well announce it—officially. Yes, I'm pregnant."

Sam eats a spoonful of strawberry yogurt and swallows. "Congrats. There's nothing like holding a little baby in your arms."

"What's everyone talking about?"

Charlotte turns around and sees Amelia standing in the doorway, her hand clutched around her purse. "You don't look so good."

"So what's everyone talking about?" Amelia asks again, quite obviously ignoring the blonde.

Everyone remains silent and looks away, staring at their feet, each other, the food items in front of them—anything but Amelia.

"Oh. Charlotte made the big announcement, huh?" Amelia disappears out of the doorway and back down the hallway.

Charlotte runs after her and grabs her by the arm. "Amelia, wait."

Amelia grunts as she rips her arm from Charlotte. "I'm not in the mood." She continues down the hallway and shuts herself off in her office.

Charlotte feels a hand on her shoulder, so she whips her head around.

"She'll come around. Just give her time."

"I'm worried 'bout her, Jake."

"We all are."

Charlotte sighs and walks back into the kitchen. She grabs two packets of baby carrots and a water bottle, and sits down at the island counter. She rips open the bag and bites off the tip of a carrot. She closes her eyes and smiles. "God, that's good." When she opens her eyes, her colleagues are staring at her. "What? I've been cravin' baby carrots all mornin'. Sheesh. It's like none of you have seen a pregnant woman eat before."

"I'm surprised Cooper could keep a secret this big," Sam jokes.

"I am too."

"Hey, give me more credit than that."

Charlotte gasps.

Cooper laughs and gives her a kiss on the side of her head. "I guess you told everyone."

"Sheldon beat me to it." Charlotte grunts.

Cooper hooks his arm around her shoulders and smiles. "At least you don't have to hide it anymore. You're starting to look like a grandma in all those baggy sweaters."

"Excuse me?"

Cooper swallows. "A very beautiful grandma."

"Nice try." Charlotte finishes her two bags of carrots and goes looking for something more filling than twenty baby carrots.

"Did you tell them about—did you tell them everything?"

Sheldon tilts his head slightly. "What's everything?"

"That answers my question." Cooper pauses and looks at his wife to make sure it's safe to continue.

Charlotte gives him a slow nod and then opens the fridge.

"The baby—basically some of the baby's intestines are outside its body. Addison assures us that everything else is normal. Charlotte's healthy, the baby's right on track from fifteen weeks gestation, but he'll need surgery after he's born."

"It's a boy?"

Cooper looks at Sam and blinks. "Huh?"

"You said _he'll _need surgery after _he's_ born."

"Oh, no, we don't know the sex of the baby yet. That was a generic he, not a gender specific he."

Charlotte lets out a breath and closes the fridge door, holding a container of cherry tomatoes in her hands. "This any of yours?"

Sam raises his hand. "Those are mine."

Charlotte looks at him, waiting for him to offer them to her.

"Do you want them?"

Charlotte has a smart remark on the tip of her tongue, but refrains. She's got her eyes on these tomatoes and Sam's the kind of person who would refuse to let her have them if she says something snappy, so she just nods and says, "Yes."

"Go ahead." Sam looks at Cooper. "You better feed your wife 'cause she's eating all our food."

"I feed her, I feed her well, thank you very much."

Charlotte sits back down at the island and pops a tomato in her mouth.

"Do you want some lettuce to go with those tomatoes and carrots?"

Charlotte glares at Cooper, but her face softens. He's being serious and thoughtful, not sarcastic. She smiles. "I'm ok, but thank you."

"I have to get to the hospital. You heading there at all today?"

Charlotte nods. "Mmhmm. Soon—well soonish."

"Soonish? What does that mean?"

"An hour, maybe an hour and a half. I'm gonna be there the rest of the afternoon."

"Ok." Cooper pauses. "I'll see you later." He kisses her again and walks out of the kitchen.

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "Why the hell are you people starin' at me again?" She throws a tomato at each of them. "I'm not that interestin'. Stop it."

The guys dodge the tomatoes and Sam looks down at the floor. "Those were perfectly good tomatoes—my perfectly good tomatoes."

"Oh quit whinin', Sam. Besides, you gave 'em to me, so technically, they're _my_ perfectly good tomatoes, therefore, I can do whatever I want with 'em," Charlotte counters, but when she finishes the container, she's really wishing she didn't waste the other three. She stands up and slides the empty Tupperware container to Sam. "Thank you for the tomatoes." She downs her water, chugging it.

"Thirsty?"

"Shut up, Sheldon." Charlotte tosses the water bottle and walks out of the kitchen, her stomach still rumbling.

* * *

Charlotte walks through the ER doors around 2:30 and is immediately stopped by a nurse at the central nurses' station. "What is it, Brandy?"

The blonde-haired nurse hands her a plastic container and a bottle of iced tea. "Dr. Freedman said to give these to you."

Charlotte looks at the hot pink post-it attached to the container and smiles as she reads it: _You and the baby both need more than just baby carrots and cherry tomatoes. Enjoy. Hope you're having a great day. _She looks at the nurse. "If you see Dr. Freedman before I do, tell him I said thank you." She adjusts her purse and takes the salad and iced tea off the counter. She stuffs the bottle in her purse and disappears down the hallway, heading to her office, her stomach growling louder than ever.

* * *

Cooper's lying in bed, reading _The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be_, when Charlotte walks in, visibly exhausted. He lowers the book and smiles.

"Doin' some light readin'?" Charlotte laughs and crawls into bed after taking off her heels. She scoots closer to him and rests her head on his shoulder.

"Just trying to stay on top of everything." He presses his lips against her forehead and drapes his arm over her, running his hand back and forth across her lower back. He closes the book and sets it on his nightstand. "You look exhausted."

She fights back a yawn and slides her hand up and down his chest, brushing her palm against the soft cotton of his T-shirt. "It's been a long day."

The door opens and Mason comes in. He smiles and gets up into bed. "Hi, momma."

She lifts her head and separates from Cooper. "Hey, sweetie. How was your math test?"

"I think I messed up one or two questions."

"That's ok. You'll do better next time."

"So you're not mad?"

"Course I'm not mad."

Mason squeezes between his parents and lets out a sigh of relief. "Good."

She touches the tip of his nose and smiles. "Did you try your hardest?"

Mason nods. "Yes."

"Then that's all I can ask for, Mase." She pauses. "Your homework all done?"

"Almost. I have a lot tonight. I just wanted to say hi 'cause I heard you come in."

"Go do it and then get ready for bed."

"Ok, momma." Mason gives her a kiss on the cheek and slides down the mattress, hopping off. He leaves the room and goes back to his.

Charlotte curves her body around Cooper again and looks at him. "Coop?"

"What is it?"

"I—I felt the baby move earlier. At least, I think it was the baby. It felt kinda weird—like popcorn popping."

He smiles.

"It sorta stopped me in my tracks."

"I'm jealous."

She laughs. "I kinda liked it."

He smiles wider and slides his fingers through her hair. He can't think of anything else to say, so he just says the one thing that comes to mind, which is, "I love you."

She closes her eyes and her lips curve upwards into a small smirk. "I love you too." She pauses. "And thank you for my salad. It was delicious and exactly what I needed."

"You're welcome." He pauses. "I heard you started a food fight in the kitchen at the practice?"

"It was hardly a food fight, Coop. I threw a tomato at Jake, Sam, and Sheldon 'cause they kept starin' at me."

He laughs. "I would have killed to see that."

She sits up and gets off the bed.

"There are homemade cookies in the kitchen—ok, they're from the store, but they're still good. Chocolate chip, sugar, and oatmeal raisin."

She smiles. "Chocolate chip cookies, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream, that sounds delicious right 'bout now. You want any?"

"That does sound good, but I couldn't eat another bite if you paid me to."

"More for me." She laughs and changes into something a lot more comfortable.

"I know something else whipped cream would look good on."

She turns her head and smiles at him. "I know what you're thinkin', but we can't—not with Mason here."

He sighs. "I know. I can't wait until we move."

"I can't wait either—but not just 'cause of that." She disappears into the bathroom. _Great. Now I'm thinkin' 'bout sex. Damn it. _She walks back into the bedroom and sighs. "You had to bring that up, didn't you? 'Cause baby carrots and chocolate chip cookies aren't the only things I've been cravin' lately."

"I didn't need to hear that."

"If we moved last year, we wouldn't be havin' this problem." She's annoyed and frustrated and irritable, mostly because she's incredibly horny. She thinks for a second and then faces their bedroom opening. "Mason, come in here, please!"

Mason appears in the doorway a couple minutes later. "Yes, momma?"

"I need to take a shower. Do you have to go to the bathroom at all?"

Mason shakes his head. "Nope. You can take a shower. I just gotta brush my teeth later, that's all."

She smiles. "That's all I wanted to know. Go finish your homework. By the time you're done with your homework, I should be done takin' a shower."

Mason nods and walks back to his bedroom.

"I'll meet you in the shower in fifteen minutes, Coop." She smirks and heads into the kitchen.

He takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. "I love being married," he whispers and picks up his book again.

* * *

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	26. Chapter 26

Almost three weeks later, Charlotte's busy taping together boxes. They signed the papers three days ago and have been in non-stop clear out the loft mode since then. There are boxes everywhere, making navigating through the loft almost impossible. She's exhausted, drained from packing, and is grateful that they're almost done. She's ready to move, ready for all these boxes to move out as well. The task of unpacking them into the new house isn't as appealing. She's dreading that part, but she'll grit her teeth and suck it up.

Cooper walks into the loft and almost runs right into a large box. "Whoa." He pushes the box to the side and makes a path. "You've been busy."

She rips off a piece of tape with her teeth and nods. "I need you hands."

He pads over to her and holds down the flaps as she secures them. He steals a kiss when she lifts her head up slightly. "Take a break. You're sweating and clearly out of breath."

"I'm fine." She flips the box over and bends the other flaps down. "But I could use your help."

He smiles. "Ok." He pauses. "Can we compromise?"

"Depends on what this compromise is."

"I need to go pick Mason up from Garret's house. I just stopped by to grab Garret's hat that he left here the other day. Take a twenty minute break, and we can resume packing up the loft when I get back. We'll make up that time in no time, especially if Mason pitches in."

She sighs. "Fine."

He presses his lips against her cheek and smiles. "I know you want to get this done as soon as possible, but you gotta take care of yourself, sweetie."

She nods. "I know, but once I get goin' on somethin', it's hard for me to stop until it's done."

"But you have to." He pauses. "Have a snack and then lay down until I get back."

"I already said fine."

He laughs. "I talked to the realtor and she said that we can move in whenever we're ready, so we have time. Everything will get done, I promise."

"Can you just go get Mason so we can finish?"

"I'm going right now—after I grab Garret's hat." He disappears into his son's bedroom and grabs the red baseball cap. "Remember what I said."

She rolls her eyes. "Just go!" She sighs. "Sorry."

He smiles. "I'll be home soon." He opens the door and leaves the loft, heading down the hallway to the elevator.

She looks around and grunts. She's tempted to keep working, but she is kind of hungry and her back and feet are killing her, so maybe taking a short break won't be the worst idea in the world.

* * *

By 5:30 PM, the loft is almost fully packed away. There's a few necessary items still unpacked, but those will find their way into boxes tomorrow morning before they load up the truck.

Charlotte's sitting on the couch, her back pressed against the armrest, her legs stretched out. She closes her eyes and moans softly.

Cooper's sitting opposite her, kneading his fingers into her sore and swollen feet and ankles. He smiles. "Feel better?"

"Mmhmm." She rests her hand on her stomach and smiles. "Momma and baby are both livin' the life right now—thank you." She takes a sip from her water bottle and shifts on the cushions.

He smirks. "Speaking of the baby, are we finding out the sex?"

She opens her eyes and looks at him. "Coop, I don't need any more surprises with this baby, so yes, we're finding out the sex." She pauses. "Wait, do you not want to find out what we're havin'?"

He shrugs. "I want to know if I'm gonna have a daughter or another son, but something about being surprised is kinda exciting." He pauses. "But I guess it'll be exciting either way. I'll leave the decision up to you."

"I need to know."

"Ok." He presses his lips against her big toe and smiles. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Um, not sure."

"Well, do you want takeout or do you want me to cook something?"

"Takeout."

He reaches behind him and grabs the takeout menus from the drawer in the side table. He hands them to her and laughs at the sheer volume of takeout menus they have. They'll definitely come in handy when the baby's born. "Take a look and choose one. I can eat whatever."

She looks at the menus. Mexican, sandwiches, Chinese, Italian, Indian—you name it, they've got a takeout menu for it. She studies the menus and hands him the Chinese menu.

"Good choice."

"Chicken and broccoli with lo mien, not rice, and I want those Chinese noodle-chip things. You know what I'm takin' 'bout?"

"I do." He angles his head. "Mason!"

Mason appears by the couch a minute later. "Yeah, dad?"

"We're getting Chinese for dinner. Take a look at this and let me know what you want."

"Can we go out to dinner? I mean, not just get takeout, but sit at the Chinese place and eat."

"There a reason why you wanna do that instead?"

"No. I just wanna."

Cooper looks at Charlotte. "You ok with that?"

She nods. "I'm ok with that." She smiles at Mason. "Sweetie, if you wanna go out to eat, then we can certainly do that." She gets up off the couch and stretches. "I'll be right out." She walks into the bedroom and heads into the bathroom.

"You excited to move tomorrow?"

Mason nods. "Yep."

Charlotte walks out of the bathroom, her hair pulled up into a ponytail and a little bit of makeup on her face.

Cooper smiles. "Hey, gorgeous, where'd you come from?"

"Are you two ready to go?"

"I just gotta get my shoes on, momma." Mason runs into his bedroom.

"I have to get my shoes on too, momma," Cooper jokes.

She rolls her eyes. "I do feel like your momma half the time. You're worse than Mason."

Cooper pouts and stands up. "I resent that."

"Then I guess you resent the truth." She pats his stomach and gives him a kiss.

He heads into the bedroom to get his sneakers on.

She takes a seat on the coffee table and waits for them, growing more and more impatient as the minutes drag on. "Did you two get swallowed up by your shoes or somethin'? What is takin' so long?"

Mason comes out, one shoe on his foot, the other in his hand. "Sorry, momma. I couldn't find the other shoe and this is the pair I really wanted to wear."

"It's ok, just put the other shoe on 'cause you can't go out like that."

Cooper walks out into the living room.

"So what's your excuse?"

"My shoelaces were knotted."

She pushes herself up and grabs her purse from the hook. She opens the door and steps into the hallway.

Mason and Cooper follow her and they head down to the elevator.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte and Cooper are lying awake in bed. He pushes up her tank top and brushes his hand across her pregnant belly. He rolls onto his side and presses his lips against her smooth skin, his hand skimming along her lower abdomen. "You'll never know how great this place was, Blue, but your momma and I have had some pretty awesome memories in this place," he whispers and kisses her stomach again.

Charlotte's gotten used to him talking to the baby. She runs her fingers through his hair and listens. "It's sort of bittersweet—this move."

He nods and leans back against the pillows. "We fell in love here, we started our family here, but it's time to move on. I've been in this apartment for years now. We're moving because we've run out of space, our family doesn't fit these walls anymore, and that's why I'm ok with saying goodbye."

She smiles. "We'll make tons of new memories after we move, Coop. This place may be where our family got started, but our new place is going to be where our family's going to grow."

He brushes his lips against hers and tangles his hand through her hair. He pulls back and scoots closer to her, so there's no space between them. "You're right."

"I know I am." She laughs and leans back against him. "It's our last night here. This is actually happenin'. It's not a thought or a wish anymore."

"Nope. We're actually moving."

"It was inevitable."She shifts on the mattress and swallows. Her hand instinctually goes to her stomach and she closes her eyes.

"Char, what's wrong?"

She just shakes her hand and runs her hand along her lower abdomen.

"Sweetie, please tell me what's going on."

"I—I need you to call Addison." She pauses. "No, never mind. Don't call anyone."

"Call or don't call, which is it?"

"Don't call." She rolls onto her side and takes in a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly.

"You're scaring me." He touches her cheek and traps her tears under his thumb. "This is no time to be stubborn, Charlotte."

She lifts her chin. "Call Addison," she whispers.

"You sure this time?"

She nods. "Mmhmm."

"Ok." He reaches for his phone and dials Addison's cell phone number. He strokes Charlotte's hair and gives her a soft kiss on the top of her head as he listens to the rings.

She's trying to focus on her breathing and not the cramping, but she can't help it.

He glances over at her, his heart racing. "Just keep breathing, Char."

She nods and closes her eyes.

He's on the phone for a couple minutes and then he's up out of bed, rushing into the closet. "Addison's going to meet us at the hospital."

"Cooper."

"I know, Char." He pulls on a pair of pants and slips into his shoes. He smiles at her, trying to keep her as calm as possible.

She smiles back, faintly. "I'm ok, Coop."

"Let's go." He pauses. "Crap, what're we gonna do about Mason?"

"You can't tell him."

"We can't leave him here by himself."

"Get the neighbor to come over and keep an eye on him. I don't want to worry him for nothin', Coop. Please, let's just go."

Mason hears commotion, so he comes out into the living room. He rubs his eyes and focuses on his parents. "What's going on, momma?"

Charlotte sighs. _Just what I didn't want. _"Go back to bed, sweetie."

"Are you two going somewhere? It's ten o'clock at night."

Cooper walks over to his son and rests his hand on the top of his head. "Everything's fine, bud. Addison just has to do some tests on the baby."

"What's wrong with the baby?"

"We don't know. Addison's gonna tell us when we go to the hospital."

"I'm coming with you guys."

"Mason—."

"Can I please come with you? Pretty please?"

Charlotte sighs. He's begging and she shouldn't reward begging, but he's got a thin layer of tears in his eyes and his hands are shaking—he's scared, and she can't just leave him here, knowing that he's worried about her and the baby. It won't do either of them any good. He'll be here worrying, and she'll be at the hospital feeling guilty. "Ok, sweetie. Go put your sneakers on."

Mason smiles and goes back to his bedroom.

"He's good," Cooper jokes, trying to lighten the mood. "He's worried about you, Char. You can't blame the kid for that.

"No, I can't."

Mason comes out of his bedroom and walks over to Charlotte. "Sorry, I took so long, momma."

"You lose your shoe again?"

Mason shakes his head. "No. I was praying."

She fixes his bed head and smiles. She rubs her eyes and the three of them walk out of the loft.

* * *

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	27. Chapter 27

Charlotte's sitting on an exam table in the ER, her eyes shut tight, preventing any tears from escaping. She's trembling, her breath's shaky, and she's gone completely pale.

Mason's laying on the table beside her, clinging to her, with his arm hooked around hers and his head on her chest.

She brings her hand up and runs her fingers through his brown hair. She gives him a kiss on his head and smiles. "I'm ok, sweetie."

He nods. He hasn't left her side since they got here.

"Look at me."

He lifts his head and blinks.

"I'm ok."

He nods again and his head goes right back down.

The curtain opens and Addison walks in.

Charlotte looks at the redhead and rubs Mason's shoulder. "Mase, go sit with your daddy, so Addison can check out the baby."

He shakes his head.

"Please?"

He sighs and peels himself away from her. He stays silent as he gets off the table and pads slowly over to his dad.

Addison snaps on a pair of gloves and lowers herself onto the wheelie stool at the foot of the table. "I'm going to check your cervix first."

Charlotte nods.

Addison lifts the gown, draping a blanket over Charlotte's legs, and just as her fingers brush against Charlotte, the blonde jerks back and swallows. She looks at her and sighs. "Everything ok?"

Cooper stands up and closes the gap between him and his wife. He takes her hand and wraps her fingers around his hand. He kisses the side of her head and smiles. "I'm here. Focus on me, not Addison."

Charlotte turns her head and looks into Cooper's eyes. She squeezes his hand and attempts to smile. "I'm ok." Really, she is. She's just thinking about the fact that Addison was there, with her hands down there, on one of the worst nights of her life, and now, she may be, with her hands down there, for yet another nightmarish event. That's enough to make her skin scrawl.

Cooper nods. "I know. Just focus on me, not her."

Addison shifts. "I'm gonna start again." She waits for the ok and then continues what she was doing before. "Good news. Your cervix is completely closed." She warms up the ultrasound machine and opens up Charlotte's gown. "I'm just going to check the baby and see if everything's ok." She pauses. "Do the cramps come and go or are they constant? Do they get stronger or get closer together?"

"They come and go and yes, they get stronger and um, yeah, they get closer together. I don't know if they're just cramps or contractions. I've never been in this situation before."

"Ok. If they're getting stronger and are getting closer together, you're most likely contacting." She adjusts the fetal monitor around Charlotte's stomach and squeezes out some of the gel. "Let's see if the ultrasound can't give us any answers." She presses the transducer against Charlotte's stomach and moves it to the side slightly. "The heartbeat's strong. We'll have a listen in a minute." She double checks everything and then smiles. "Do you want to know the sex? You have an appointment on Thursday, but I've got a pretty good shot right now."

Charlotte looks at Cooper, who gives her a nod. "Tell us." She smiles at Mason. "Come here, sweetie."

Mason hops off the chair and walks over to her. "Is it a boy?"

Addison swivels the screen around and points between the fetus' legs.

Charlotte shakes her head. "It's a girl."

Cooper smiles and presses his lips against Charlotte's temple.

"Charlotte's right."

Mason sighs. "I was so sure I was gonna have a little brother." He pauses. "Is she ok, though?"

"I'm going to run a few more tests and make sure, but her heartbeat is strong. She's a little small, but not small enough to warrant concern just yet."

Mason smiles. "Is that her intestines?" He points.

Addison nods. "Yes."

"Whoa."

Addison laughs and looks at Charlotte. "I know it's late, but let's move this party up to the Obstetrics floor. I'll run a few more tests, weigh you, and answer any questions you may have at this point. We can cancel your appointment for Thursday."

Charlotte nods. "That's fine. We're already here, right?"

"Exactly and there's no point in having two appointments in one week, but I do want you to check in with me on Thursday, just so I know if things are still going smoothely." Addison pauses. "Just sit tight and you'll be transferred up to the fifth floor in a few minutes." She takes off her gloves and leaves the curtain.

Mason hasn't taken his eyes off the ultrasound screen yet. He's standing still, looking at the baby move, a faint smile on his face.

Charlotte turns her head and smiles. "Mase?"

He looks at her. "That's really cool."

"Which part?"

"All of it—the intestines sticking out of her stomach, the fact that she's inside you, but you can see her on the screen, the fact that you can see her moving around. She looks like a baby, like a real, tiny little baby. That's so cool."

She smiles. "You bummed that the baby's a girl?"

He shrugs. "Not sure. A little, but I guess it really doesn't matter. I'm a big brother no matter what." He wraps his arms around Charlotte and rests his head on her shoulder. "I'm glad she's ok, momma."

She runs her hand up and down his back and sighs. "Me too, sweetie," she whispers.

A few minutes later, Charlotte's taken up to the OB floor.

* * *

Charlotte's resting in her hospital bed, Mason lying next to her, asleep. She has her arm hooked around his waist as he rests his head on her shoulder.

Mason has been glued to her since Addison left the room an hour ago.

She doesn't mind. She knows he's scared, especially seeing her hooked up to all these wires and tubes, so she'll allow him to lay in bed with her. She knows this is about the only thing he can do to comfort her.

Cooper's asleep in the chair beside the bed, his mouth agape.

She's exhausted herself, but she can't seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. She rubs her son's back and kisses the top of his head. She watches him sleep and can't help but smile. She never expected to love him, but she never _ever_ expected him to love her back.

There's a knock on the door and Addison walks in. "Hey," she whispers.

"Hey." Charlotte pauses. "Everything ok?"

Addison nods. "All your tests came back fine." She pauses. "Did you do any strenuous activity today? Sex, jogging, anything like that?"

"I was packing up the apartment all day. Taping together boxes, putting everything we own in them—is that considered strenuous?"

"Moving and packing can be stressful, plus if you're on your feet all day, constantly lifting things, bending down and standing up straight again, that could most certainly be why you started contracting. Just take it easy."

Charlotte nods. "So everythin's ok?"

"I'm happy to report that yes, everything is fine."

Charlotte smiles and lets out a breath, which wakes Mason up.

Mason stirs and lifts his head up. He rubs his eyes and yawns. "What's going on?"

"Addison was just tellin' me that everythin' is fine." Charlotte pauses. "Can I go home now, Montgomery?"

"I'll go get some papers for you to sign. Let the medicine finish up and then you can get out of here."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Addison pauses. "Has Amelia talked to you since she found out about your pregnancy?"

"No. It's been three weeks, and she's still givin' me the cold shoulder."

There's another knock on the door and both women look to see who's there.

Charlotte smiles. "Speak of the devil."

Amelia walks in slowly and sighs.

"You're here late."

"I had a surgery, hence the scrubs." Amelia walks farther into the room and swallows. "Someone said that they saw you in the ER. I wanted to make sure everything was ok. Is it?"

Charlotte nods. "It is. I was havin' contractions, but they've stopped now."

"I heard a rumor that the baby's organs are outside of its body."

"It's not a rumor."

Amelia looks at the ultrasound screen, which still has the baby's image frozen on it. She shudders, remembering herself sitting in Charlotte's place on the table as she looked at her son.

"It's a girl."

"Is she going to be ok?"

Charlotte nods. "I hope so. She'll need surgery after she's born, but Addison's confident that she'll be ok." She pauses. "Are you ok?"

Amelia sighs. "This is just all too familiar, that's all." She pauses. "I'm sorry about—do you think we can be friends again?"

Charlotte smiles. "We never stopped bein' friends, Amelia—at least, I didn't stop bein' yours."

"I'm sorry."

Charlotte shakes her head. "You don't have to apologize."

Addison backs up towards the door. "I'm gonna go get your discharge papers, Charlotte." She leaves the room and disappears down the hallway.

"I should probably go check on my patient. I just wanted to make sure everything was ok."

"It is, and thank you."

"I've been going to meetings, so you don't have to worry."

Charlotte smiles. "You knew what I was thinkin'."

"That's the first thing on everyone's mind right now—it'll be that way for a long time. I'm used to it. I've been here before."

"Me too." Charlotte shifts on the mattress. "Have a good night, Amelia."

"You too, and congratulations. I hope everything's gonna be ok with the baby. I've been there too."

Charlotte nods. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Amelia walks out of the room and heads down the hallway.

Charlotte lets out a breath. "Hey, sweetie, you mind gettin' up. I have to go to the bathroom."

Mason stands up.

"Thank you." Charlotte pulls the sheets off and gets up. She disappears into the bathroom and shuts the door. She walks back out in her regular clothes and sits on the edge of the bed. She smiles and rubs the side of her stomach. _Today ended pretty darn well—the baby's ok and Amelia's talking to me again. Maybe I'll actually get some sleep tonight._ She laughs_. Well, two out three ain't bad._

* * *

_I couldn't decide whether I wanted the baby to be a boy or girl, but I chose a girl because there are a lot of baby boys on the show, so I wanted to change it up a little. _

_Anyway, please review._

_If there's anything you want to see happen, I'm open to suggestions._

_:)_


	28. Chapter 28

_Just a sweet little chapter...enjoy :)_

* * *

Charlotte's up early the next morning, way before her alarm goes off. She walks into the kitchen and pops a few pieces of bread in the toaster. She grabs the orange juice from the refrigerator. She's got a headache, so she figures sugar may help. Plus, she's tired of drinking tea.

Cooper hears a bang in the kitchen, so he jumps out of bed. He slowly makes his way behind the partition and flips on the light. He jumps back and lets out a soft scream. He sighs. "Geez, Char. What the hell are you doing in the dark?"

"Shhh, lower your voice."

"What the hell are you doing in the dark?" He whispers this time.

"Makin' toast and pouring myself a glass of orange juice. I stubbed my toe and dropped the glass on the counter. Sorry if I woke you."

"You did, but it's fine. We've got a lot of stuff to do before we head to the new house." He pauses. "Did you sleep ok?"

She nods. "I was exhausted." She pauses. "I had to get up a couple times to go to the bathroom and just stretch my legs, but overall, it was a pretty good night. You slept like a rock."

"I heard you get up around three."

"My left leg was crampin' off and on last night. I had to walk around to get some relief."

"Did it help?"

She nods. "Mmhmm." She grabs the toast out of the toaster and takes the butter out of the refrigerator. "I gave Amelia the address of our new place last night before we left the hospital and she's going to stop by later and help us unpack. She wants to keep herself busy. The less sittin' around she's doin', the less time she has to think about Baby Ryan."

"I missed a lot." He laughs. "I was half asleep when we left. I don't remember anything you told me."

"All you need to know is that the baby's just fine and Amelia and I are on speakin' terms again, for now, at least."

"We'll have a lot of help. I'm gonna call Violet later and see if she wants to help too. She's back to work, but she still has a lot of time to think about Pete."

"We can use all the help we can get. The faster we unpack, the faster we can actually start livin' in that house." She pauses. "Once everythin' is put away, we'll talk about furniture because all we have now are a couple dresser drawers and two mattresses."

He laughs. "You're exaggerating a bit, but we are going to need to go shopping for new furniture."

She nods and takes a bite of her buttered toast. "Say your goodbyes now, Coop."

"I've had so many good memories here."

"Those memories, the ones you're thinkin' 'bout right now, better involve either Mason or I and not any of those internet hussies you screwed here."

"I wasn't thinking about that."

"You're full of it." She pauses. "Not like I care anyway."

"Let me rephrase then. _We've_ had so many good memories here."

She nods. "That's better." She walks over to the island and sits down, getting more comfortable.

"You want some actual breakfast? Or are you good with the toast?"

"This is a prelude to breakfast. It's just a little snack. I'll eat when Mason gets up." She pauses. "Don't even look at me like that. I need energy. I'm growin' human life here."

He nods and pours himself a glass of orange juice. "Just think, this time tomorrow, we'll be waking up in our new house."

She smiles. "It's about time, is all I gotta say."

"If you wanted to move, you should have brought it up sooner."

"When, Cooper? When did you want me to bring it up again? Let's see, maybe when I was just strugglin' to get through the day after I was raped? Or maybe, when Erica showed up with Mason? No wait, I should have brought it up right after we got back from Seattle after Erica's surgery. That would have been a perfect time."

He sighs. "Ok, I see your point."

"I was ok with not movin' before 'cause we lived comfortably here. It was just the two of us, and even with Mason, space is tight, but it's livable. I admit that right now isn't the best time either, but enough is enough. If we wait for the perfect time, we'll never leave." She pauses. "I realize I'm repeatin' myself now."

He gives her a quick morning kiss on the lips and takes a sip of his orange juice. "How's Blue?"

"She's fine, and why the heck are you still callin' her Blue?"

"It's short for Blueberry. I thought we were gonna have a boy, so I started calling the baby Blue, but now that she's a girl, Blue is short for Blueberry." He pauses. "And I could call her Trader Joe and it wouldn't matter. It's a nickname—something else to call her besides it and she, until we pick out her name."

"Trader Joe?"

"Shut up. It was the first thing that popped into my head."

She laughs and goes back to eating her toast.

He grunts.

"What? It's funny."

He nods. "It was the first thing that popped into my head," he repeats. "I'm not really going to call the baby Trader Joe."

"Better be careful. These nicknames tend to stick with the baby forever, and I'm certainly not callin' my baby girl Trader Joe for the rest of her life."

He laughs. "Can we just drop it?"

She nods. "Sure." She sips her orange juice slowly, taking in the early morning silence of their loft. This move is unquestionably bittersweet. They've had great times here and have made amazing memories. She remembers the first time Cooper brought her here. They barely made it through the door before his lips were on hers, their hands were all over each other, and articles of clothing were flying. She went out for a drink and got more than she had bargained for, but she wouldn't change any of that now—never in a million years. Her memories will go with her anywhere she and Cooper go, the good and the bad ones she wishes she could forget, but something about this place just makes her feel at home. She's lived here for a while now and has grown to love it.

He notices that Charlotte has zoned out slightly. Her eyes are fixed on the toaster, her glass frozen in mid-air. He waves his hand in front of her face. "Charlotte?"He pauses. "Yoo-hoo, Charlotte."

She blinks and snaps her head back to Cooper.

"You ok?"

She smiles. "I'm fine. I was just thinkin' 'bout the first night we slept together."

"The night that changed both our lives forever—yeah, I remember."

She nods and stands up. She puts her plate and cup in the dishwasher and smiles up at him. "Do you know when I started to feel somethin' for you?"

He shakes his head. "No, but I'd like to know."

She leans back on the counter and looks at him. "We were sittin' on the bed, and you insisted on gettin' to know me. I was dressed in that dominatrix outfit. It was the most uncomfortable thing in the world, but the idea of whippin' the crap outta ya was just enough to make the leather suit tolerable. Anyway, I started to feel soemthin' when you were talkin' 'bout your favorite color. For some reason that just—."

"Come on. Finish what you were gonna say."

"I'm gettin' to it, Coop." She pauses. "I hate talkin'. I've never been good at openin' up, but for some reason that little goofy thing you said, put me at ease." She smiles. "But the one thing that really cemented my feelins was when you knew the title of To Kill a Mockingbird. I know a lot of people know it, but the fact that you finished my sentence made it different."

He smiles. "We've come a long way since then."

She nods. "Mmhmm."

He yawns and rubs his eyes. "I wonder where that suit is now."

"It's in a box in the closet. Well, now it's in a box in the living room."

"Did you keep all your outfits?"

"Of course. Who knows when we're gonna be in the mood to play dress up again." She winks and smirks at him.

"You're cruel."

"What did I do?"

"You know how weak I am when you look at me like that."

She stands up on her tippy toes and presses her lips against his, her hands on either side of his face, her nose brushing against his. She breaks the kiss and takes his hand, squeezing it. She tugs on it and looks at him. "One last time in the loft?"

He nods. "We have to be quiet."

"Not if we turn on the shower and the faucet." She pauses. "Unless you wanna do it on the bed."

"I wanna do it on the bed. It's the first place we had sex when I brought you here and I want it to be the last place we have sex before we leave."

She smiles. "We don't have to be too quiet. That boy can sleep through a freight train passing by his window." She tugs on his arm again and they walk out of the kitchen. They disappear into their bedroom, sliding the partition closed slowly as their lips press together softly.

* * *

_:)_


	29. Chapter 29

Charlotte, Cooper, and Mason pull into the driveway of their new house. Charlotte takes in a deep breath and opens the car door. She steps onto the pavement and looks around. She's thankful that she's not in a cookie-cutter neighborhood where every single house is the same. Each house is different—different shades, sizes, and layouts—but despite that, the street looks unified in some way. She's not exactly sure what that is, she can't put her finger on it, but there's something that brings every house together, so it doesn't look too hodgepodgey.

Mason jumps out of the car. "Can I go swimming?"

"Let's unpack some boxes first, Mase, and when we take a break for lunch, you can go swimming," Cooper says, getting out of the driver's seat. He walks around to the U-Hall trailer and opens the hatch. "Hey, kiddo, do me a favor. Jump up there in the back and push all those boxes forward."

Mason nods and his dad hoists him up. He squeezes through and pushes the boxes forward. "Is that enough?"

"That's perfect. Thanks."

Mason jumps down and walks towards the end of the driveway, looking around. "I wonder if there are any kids on this street."

"I'm sure you'll find out later. It's still early. Everyone's probably sleepin'," Charlotte says. "Coop, can I have the key?"

Cooper reaches into his pocket and drops the house key in her outstretched hand. "Leave the door open. I'm gonna bring some of these boxes in."

She nods and walks towards the front door. "Help your daddy, Mase." She unlocks the door and steps into the foyer. "Home sweet home." She walks towards the hallway and disappears into the bathroom. When she walks out, Cooper has already loaded three boxes. "Geez." She goes back outside and helps her boys unpack the back of the truck.

* * *

Charlotte's standing at the counter, cutting Mason's ham and cheese sandwich into fourths. She pushes the plate towards him and smiles. "Eat up and then we'll take a little break." She hears the doorbell, so she walks into the living room. She checks the peephole and then opens the door. "Welcome."

Amelia steps into the living room and looks around. "Well, this is certainly an upgrade."

Charlotte laughs. "Wait until you see the kitchen."

"Can I move in? You won't even know I'm here." Amelia follows Charlotte into the kitchen and teeters backwards. "It's settled. I'm moving in."

Charlotte shakes her head.

"The kitchen is gorgeous." Amelia walks over to the French doors and peers out into the backyard. "This is not even remotely fair."

Cooper walks into the kitchen and gives his wife a kiss on her cheek. "Oh, hey, Amelia."

"Hey, Cooper. I was just telling Charlotte that I'm moving in."

Cooper coughs. "What?"

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "She's kiddin', Coop. You can breathe now." She takes a sip of her water. "I need to sit down." She slips into the breakfast nook and looks at Amelia. "Did your feet hurt this much when you were pregnant? I mean—."

"I'm fine, Charlotte. Say whatever you want, ask me whatever you want. The only thing I really can't take is you telling me how wonderful being a mother is or how amazing your baby is. Keep that to yourself. I don't wanna hear it." Amelia pauses and changes her tone slightly. "To answer your question, yes, my feet hurt a lot and I had to go up a size in shoes because my feet swelled up so much. I tried not to focus on that because I tried not to think about anything that reminded me that I was pregnant."

Charlotte sighs. She's not sure what to say, so she just nods and then decides to change the subject entirely. "We made a huge dent in the boxes, but we still have half of them to go through and unpack."

"I'm here to help."

"Are you hungry?"

"I ate a huge breakfast, but I could go for some water."

Charlotte's about to get up, but Amelia stops her.

"I can get it myself."

"The cups are to the right of the sink."

Amelia nods and grabs a glass. She walks over to the refrigerator and fills her glass with water and ice from the door.

Mason hops off the stool and puts his plate in the dishwasher. "Can I go swimming now, momma?"

"Sit down and relax for a little bit first, Mase."

"You promised!"

"I promised you that you could go in the pool. You still can, but I want you to sit down and digest first."

Mason grunts. "How long do I have to sit for?"

"Ten minutes, at least."

"Ten minutes?"

"The pool isn't goin' anywhere, Mason."

Mason sighs and sits across from her. He leans back and closes his eyes.

"It's only ten minutes, sweetie."

Mason nods. "Can I go get my bathing suit on, at least?"

Charlotte smiles. "Of course."

Mason gets out of the nook and walks out of the room.

Amelia follows Mason with her eyes. "How's he doing?"

"In terms of what? His momma or the baby?"

"The baby."

"He's surprisinly ok with it, but I'm sure that'll change. Not sure when—if it'll be before the baby's born or after—but it'll change. He's been an only child for nine years of his life, and this year, he's had three parents at his beck and call. He's been spoiled rotten with attention."

Amelia nods. "Maybe you won't have to worry about jealousy with Mason at all."

"I hope that's the case, but I'm not bettin' on it."

Mason walks back into the kitchen with his blue and orange striped swim trunks on. "Can I go swimming now, Momma?" He asks again, praying this time the answer is yes.

"I gotta put sunscreen on you first." Charlotte stands up and follows her son outside.

Amelia follows and looks around. "Ooh, I'm totally throwing you a housewarming party. This backyard kicks Addison's patio's ass."

"I'm about to sound like a total momma, but please don't use profanity in front of my son." Charlotte pauses. "Turn around, Mason, so I can get your back."

Mason turns around and holds out his arms.

"Hold your breath." Charlotte presses down the nozzle on the spray sunscreen bottle and coats his back. She gets his legs and then sprays his front as he turns back around. She hands him a tube of sunscreen. "Rub this into your face."

"Aw, come on, momma. By the time I finish, it's gonna be dark."

"It is not goin' to be dark. It's 1:30 in the afternoon. Put the sunscreen on or you're not goin' swimmin'. it take two minutes."

Mason relents and rubs the sunscreen into his face.

Charlotte helps rub it in all the way and takes the tube back from him. "Now, you can go swimmin'."

Mason smiles and walks over to the slide. He climbs up the hidden steps and counts to three. He pinches his nose just before flying off the edge of the slide and splashing into the water. He pops his head up and swims over to the edge of the pool. "That was awesome!"

Charlotte laughs. She knew that was going to be the first thing he tried out.

Amelia's eyes widen. "That's a slide?"

Charlotte nods. "Pretty cool, huh?" She pauses. "And you can throw us a housewarmin' party if you so wish."

Amelia smiles. "Great."

Charlotte snaps her head towards the pool when she hears a clap against the concrete. She rushes over to Mason and blinks. "Sweetie, are you ok?"

Mason looks up and nods. He has tears in his eyes and his mouth is bloody. "Ow." He sits up and spits bloody saliva onto the concrete.

"Amelia, go inside and get Cooper. Make it quick."

Amelia nods and goes into the house to fetch Cooper.

Charlotte sighs. "Does anything else hurt?"

"My ankle."

"You gotta be careful, sweetie."

Mason nods and spits more blood out of his mouth. Tears fall from his eyes as he sits there.

"Your daddy's comin', Mase." Charlotte attempts to sit down beside her son, but fails. The ground is too low and her belly is too big. _What is takin' Cooper so damn long? _She sighs and keeps talking to Mason.

* * *

_PPFan- A__s Charlotte's pregnancy progresses, Mason's jealousy will come out, and will grow stronger once the baby's born. He's not fully grasping what it means yet, which is why he's still ok with it. _

_And as far as if I think Charlotte and Cooper will have a baby next season, I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. We'll see what happens. Maybe since this season is most likely the last one, we'll finally see a CharCoop baby, but if not, I'm sure whatever their story line is, it will be interesting and complicated just like them :)_

_**Please Review!**_


	30. Chapter 30

Charlotte and Cooper have been living in the new house for about two weeks now and it's starting to look more like a home. There are a few pictures on the walls and furniture in most of the rooms. There's a decorative plant in the entryway and colorful rugs adorning the cold hardwood floors. The house finally looks lived in, and although they just moved in, they feel like they've lived there for years.

Charlotte walks into the living room and curses under her breath when she steps on one of Mason's legos. "Mason!"

Mason runs down the steps and stops. "Yes, momma?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to make sure you pick up every single one of your legos?" She points in front of her and looks at him again. "Pick it up, please."

"Sorry, momma. I thought I picked them all up." He walks towards her and bends down to pick up the yellow lego.

"Thank you."

Mason smiles. "Are you gonna come to the soccer game tomorrow at camp?"

"That's tomorrow?"

He nods. "At two. I told you on Friday."

"Crap," she mutters.

"What's wrong, momma? Are you not coming?"

"Sorry, sweetie, but I don't think I'm gonna make it."

Mason's face falls. "What? I've been practicing really hard and I'm a forward. I might actually score a goal."

"I have a doctor's appointment, and by the time I finish with Addison and drive to your camp, the game'll be over."

"But you have to come. I promise to make my bed every single day and keep my room clean and pick up my legos if you come. I'll be real good."

She sighs and messes up his hair. "Sorry, honey."

"Is my dad coming?"

"I'll tell him I can go to my appointment alone. He'll be at your game."

"Is there any way you can like move your appointment around? Please? Pretty please?"

She shakes her head. "Addison's busy and I am too. Monday afternoon is the only day we're both free all week, kiddo, and she needs to make sure that your sister's growing correctly and that the pregnancy is still going smoothly. It's very important."

Mason sighs. "Stupid baby," he mumbles, not loud enough for Charlotte to hear him. He turns around and walks right back up the steps, his footsteps heavy.

Cooper walks in from the kitchen and raises an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"I just told him I couldn't watch him play soccer tomorrow at camp 'cause of my doctor's appointment. I feel horrible. I should have remembered." She sighs. "Because I can't go, you're gonna have to. He needs one of us there to cheer him on."

"Char, I—."

"Coop, this isn't up for debate. I'm fine. I don't need you to hold my hand."

"Are you sure you're gonna be ok?"

She nods. "I'm a big girl, Coop."

He smiles. "Tell me everything Addison says—good or bad, important or unimportant."

"Videotape his game for me."

He nods. "I will." He lifts her t-shirt and drops a kiss on her belly. "I can't wait until you get here, Blue. Your nursery is coming together. All we need is you, pretty girl." He looks up at Charlotte and laughs. He steps back and pouts. "I know you talk to her all the time. I hear you."

"Watchin' you talk to my belly is different than me talkin' to it."

"Close your eyes, then."

"Very funny." She hears hurrying footsteps. "Mason?" She shrugs. "Hmmm."

"What do you want for dinner tonight?"

"Mason said he wanted Mac-n-Cheese. If I cook it for him, maybe it'll make up for me missin' his soccer game tomorrow."

"What do _you_ want?"

"Now that I'm talkin' 'bout it, I'm kind of cravin' Mac-n-Cheese." She yawns. "And a nap."

He laughs. "Oh, before I forget, Amelia called while you were in the shower."

"That was two hours ago and you're just rememberin' to tell me now?"

He shrugs.

She rolls her eyes at him. "What'd she want?"

"She said that if you don't have plans on Saturday night, you do now—err—_we_ do now. She's throwing us a housewarming party."

"I told her she could." She pauses. "It's a good distraction for her. She seems ok, she seems better, but I'm not so sure she's actually better. Someone doesn't just get over what happened to her."

He nods. "Char, are you sure you don't want me to go with you tomorrow?" He attempts again.

"Cooper, I don't need you at my side twenty-four hours a day. Every time I step foot in that room, every time Addison stares at that screen, and every time I sit there and wait for Addison to speak, my heart falls into my stomach and I get even more scared, but I'm gonna be scared whether you're there or not. Sometimes, I'd just like to be scared without you breathin' down my neck, askin' if I'm ok. Sometimes, it helps, but most of the time I just wanna wring your neck and scream. You're sometimes comfortin', but other times, you just make me more nervous. So please, go see our son kick butt in soccer tomorrow. He needs you more than I do."

He squeezes her shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too." She pauses. "I'm grateful you're here, Coop. I'm beyond grateful that you wanna be here all the time and that you worry about me all the time because over-caring is better than not caring at all, but it's a bit much. I don't wanna sound like I want you to stop all that 'cause that's not what I want. I just want you to pull back a little. I'm beggin' ya."

He laughs. "In other words, I need to stop hovering?"

"Mmhmm."

"I can try."

She smiles. "I'm gonna go make the pasta." She kisses him quickly and then disappears into the kitchen.

Cooper sits on their new couch and props his feet up. "This couch—best investment ever."

She laughs. They tried out about fifty thousand couches until they finally agreed on one. The cushions aren't too soft, so you don't feel like you're sinking, but they're not too firm either, so you don't feel like you're sitting on concrete. She likes them a little bit firmer, while he likes them a little bit softer, so this couch is perfect. "Shoot."

He laughs. "What?"

"We're out of pasta." She walks into the living room. "I'm goin' to head to the store. I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

"I'll go."

She clears her throat.

He throws his hands up. They just talked about this. "Pick up some strawberry ice cream, please."

"What kind of cones?"

"Waffle bowls."

"Ok." She angles her head up the stairs. "Mason, I'm goin' to the food store, you want anythin'?" She gets silence, so she heads up the steps and knocks on his door. She opens it and looks around. "Mase?" She hears shouting from the bathroom and the splashing of water. She smiles and knocks on the door. "Sweetie, I'm goin' to the store, do you want anythin' special?" She can't hear splashing anymore. She just hears silence. "Sweetie?" She knocks again. "Are you ok, Mase?"

"I'm fine, Charlotte."

She blinks._ Charlotte? _"Do you want anythin' from the store?"

"No."

"If you think of somethin', tell your daddy and he'll call me on my cell." She sighs and heads back downstairs. "Coop?"

Cooper turns his head. "What is it?"

"Mason just called me Charlotte. Do you think that means somethin'? He's been callin' me momma for months now. It just seems odd that he would call me Charlotte again all of a sudden."

"You're thinking too much. It probably doesn't mean anything."

She nods. "You're right." She pauses. "I'll be back soon."

"Ok." He pauses. "Don't worry about it, sweetie. It was just a slip of the tongue."

She sighs and gives him an unconvincing, 'I believe you' smile, before walking out of the front door.

* * *

_**Thanks for the reviews :)**_


	31. Chapter 31

Charlotte's sitting on an exam table at the practice, looking around the room. She glances at her watch and tries to calm her rattled nerves. She's realizing now, despite what she told Cooper yesterday, that his presence actually calms her down. His hovering, not so much, but just being a body in the room, helps put her at ease. She knows that if she ever got any bad news, he would be right there at her fingertips. He would be there to gently stroke her hair or hold her hand or give her shoulder a squeeze. Being in this room alone, looking at the medical instruments and machines and posters, is making her nervous. She takes in a shaky breath and closes her eyes. She counts to five and opens them again. _This is just a routine appointment, _she tells herself, those words on a loop in her head.

The door opens and Addison walks in. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Charlotte. I was just finishing up another appointment when my patient's water broke. I had to get her situated in the birthing suite and make sure everything going smoothly."

"It's fine. You're a busy woman. I know I'm not your only patient."

"Everything ok?"

Charlotte nods. "I'm fine. As I get closer to my due date, I should be calmer, but I seem to get more nervous."

"That's actually normal—in your case especially. Right now, your nerves are a little less about the baby making it to term and more about what's going to happen during and after birth."

Charlotte nods.

"Is Cooper joining us today?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "No, he's at Mason's camp, watching him play soccer. He's videotapin' the game for me."

Addison lifts Charlotte's shirt and tucks it under her bra. "Amelia told me about the party on Saturday."

"Are you comin'?"

Addison nods. "Yes. Amelia painted a pretty spectacular picture of the house. I want to see it for myself." She squeezes some gel onto Charlotte's stomach and presses a few buttons on the ultrasound machine. "I have some good news for you." She pauses. "The baby seems to have caught up significantly in the last two weeks. Her weight is just under the average, which is definitely an improvement from what it was during your last ultrasound."

Charlotte smiles. "That's my girl." She pauses. "Is anythin' else jumpin' out at you? Any concerns?"

"Everything else looks great." Addison pauses. "How have you been feeling? Any cramps or bleeding?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "I've been feelin' pretty good. Some backaches, some leg cramps, and I get stabbing pain in my head a little more than usual, but since that scare, everythin' concernin' the baby has been normal."

"So you've been taking it easy?"

"Well, I still have two demandin' jobs and a nine year-old boy to look after, so takin' it easy is very unlikely, but I'm restin' when I can, and sittin' down whenever possible."

"Good." Addison pauses and takes another look at the ultrasound.

"You see somethin'?"

Addison shakes her head. "No, I'm just double checking." She pauses. "I need to take some blood and get a urine sample from you, as well as check your weight."

"The fun stuff," Charlotte jokes.

Addison laughs. "The important stuff," she corrects.

Charlotte grabs the urine sample cup, wipes her stomach off with the cloth, and pulls down her shirt. She swings her legs around and stands up. "I'll pee in the cup first. I have a very full bladder and you're about to stick a large needle into my arm. The outcome of those things combined will not be pretty." She walks out of the room and heads down the hallway.

Addison laughs.

Charlotte comes back and gets back on the table. "Make it quick, Montgomery."

Addison gloves up and ties off Charlotte's arm. She prepares the needle and looks for a good vein. "Ready?"

"Just do it."

Addison slides the needle through the skin and takes it out a few moments later. "There, I'm done. You can open your eyes now."

Charlotte relaxes and opens her eyes.

"Lie back for a few minutes and then get up slowly."

Charlotte nods and after a few minutes, she stands up and walks over to the scale. "I've been hungrier lately."

"It shows."

"You callin' me fat, Montgomery?"

Addison sighs. "That came out wrong." She pauses. "It's good. You haven't gained much weight since the beginning of your pregnancy, so this jump is great. I was getting a little concerned." She pauses. "Just don't go overboard, but I think I know you well enough to know you're not just feeding this baby junk."

Charlotte steps off the scale and glares at the redhead. "Is there anythin' else you need?"

"I need to check your blood pressure."

Charlotte gets back up on the exam table and relaxes.

Addison straps the cuff around Charlotte's arm and pumps air into it. She reads the dial and then lets the air drain out gradually. "It's borderline high. I'll monitor it closely in the weeks leading up to your due date, but try and control your stress level."

"Easier said than done."

Addison nods. "I know."

"I'll work on it." Charlotte pauses. "Can we listen to her heartbeat?"

Addison smiles and lifts up Charlotte's shirt again. She squeezes some gel onto her stomach and presses the Doppler in the goo. She turns up the volume on the machine and moves the Doppler upwards.

Charlotte breathes in and lets it out slowly, her shoulders dropping. "I needed to hear it."

"It's strong. She's doing fine, Charlotte."

Charlotte nods. "I know. It's just a little overwhelmin', that's all."

"I have a lot of patients, all with different stories, and listening to the baby's heartbeat is always overwhelming. No matter if the baby is completely healthy or sick, it's always the same." Addison pauses, wiping off the remaining goop. "I'll see you in two weeks, but if you need anything before that, you know where to find me."

Charlotte nods and pulls her shirt down. She gets off the table and walks out of the room.

"Charlotte, wait."

The blonde turns around and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"You forgot your sonogram pictures."

"Oh." Charlotte steps forward and grabs them from her. "Thank you."

"I'll let you know if I find anything in your blood or urine when the tests come back."

"Ok," Charlotte says, and walks towards her office.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte walks into the house, drained of energy. She's not sure she can even make it up the steps without collapsing. She notices Mason sitting on the couch playing with Cooper's iPad, completely engrossed in it. "Hey, Mase. How was the game?"

Mason shrugs. "Die, you stupid zombie!"

"Sweetie, I asked you a question."

Mason stays silent and grunts. "Oh, come on!"

Charlotte bites her bottom lip and balls her hand into a fist. She closes her eyes and counts to five, calming herself down. _He's mad, clearly. _"Can you give me a thumbs up or a thumbs down at least, so I know you can hear me?"

He holds up his thumb and then goes back to playing his game.

She sighs and walks into the kitchen. "That boy is testin' my patience today, Coop."

Cooper turns his head as he empties the dishwasher. "What happened?"

"He's givin' me the silent treatment."

Cooper walks over to her as he says, "Was he playing a game? 'Cause he tunes everything out when he's playing with my iPad."

"He was usin' your iPad, but this was deliberate. I could tell." She pauses. "So his game went well?"

Cooper nods. "He scored the winning shot."

"What aren't you tellin' me, Coop?"

Cooper sighs. "After he kicked the ball and it went past the goalie, he looked at the crowd, and I'm pretty sure he was hoping you were gonna be sitting in the stands."

"I told him I wasn't goin' to be there."

"I know you did, but I think he was hoping that you'd make it anyway."

She sighs. "I would if I could."

"Did you eat dinner?"

"I grabbed something from the cafeteria."

"So tell me—how's Blue?"

She smiles. "Everythin' looks good. Addison says that she's bigger than she was two weeks ago. She's still small, but she's catchin' up."

"That's good. I knew she had it in her."

"My blood pressure's borderline high, but that's nothin' to worry about right now. Addison will monitor it throughout the rest of my pregnancy and I just have to find ways to relieve my stress."

"I can help with that." He smirks, and dives for her neck, kissing her softly.

"I'm sure you can." She laughs. "What'd you and Mason eat for dinner?"

"We went out for pizza." Cooper pauses. "You ok?"

She nods. "I'm worried 'bout Mason."

"He'll be fine, sweetie."

She steps to the side and looks out into the living room. "I'll let him cool off a little before I talk to him."

Cooper walks behind her and rests his hands on her hips. He pushes her hair off her neck and kisses her just below her ear.

She shivers and melts against him. "I'm gonna go lie down. It's been a long day."

"You want some space?"

She nods. "Mmhmm."

"Ok. Maybe I'll take Mason out for ice cream if he feels up to it. Go relax."

"I knew things were too easy."

He rubs her shoulder and kisses the side of her head. "Things with us are never easy."

She nods and walks out of the room. She glances at Mason before heading up the steps.

* * *

On Saturday night, Charlotte's sitting outside wrapped in a blanket, swirling her iced tea around her glass. She's not really in the party mood, but everyone else seems to be having a good time. Mason's barely saying a word to her, and if he does, it's one or two word sentences. She doesn't know what's wrong because he won't tell her or even give her a hint as to what's wrong. She sighs and takes a sip of her drink.

Jake walks over to her and sits down on the corner of the other lounge chair. "Everything ok, Charlotte?"

She nods. "Everythin's just fine."

"I only ask because you're sitting here all by yourself. The party's over there and you're missing it." He pauses. "Come on."

"I'm just not in the mood."

He stands up. "If you change your mind, just come over there. The party's just starting. I think Cooper was just about to do the funky chicken."

She smiles. "How many beers has he had?"

"I'm pretty sure he's sober."

"I married a real keeper, huh?" She laughs. "I'll tell ya what. I'll join the party when I finish my iced tea. I need a few more minutes to myself."

He smiles. "Do you want to talk?"

She shakes her head. "That's a tempting offer, Jake, but no, I'm ok."

He nods and walks back over to the group.

* * *

Charlotte's standing beside Cooper, her arm hooked around his waist, her body leaning slightly into him. She feels his arm drape across her shoulders and his lips make contact to her temple. She looks up at him and smiles. She shivers and steps closer to him.

Cooper squeezes her shoulder and kisses the top of her head.

She yawns and closes her eyes for a second. She's not paying attention to the conversation happening around her, she's tuned it out.

He gives her a nudge. "You ok, Char?" He whispers, not loud enough to disrupt Sheldon, who's telling everyone a story about his ex-wife.

She nods. "Just distracted," she whispers back.

Once Sheldon finishes his story, Cooper clears his throat. "Who wants a tour?" He pauses and continues when no one raises their hands. "Come on, people. This is a housewarming party. A tour is required." He starts walking towards the house. "Follow me—unless you wanna stand around and listen to Sheldon go on and on and on about his ex-wife or listen to Sam butcher some more jokes."

Everyone looks at each other and follows Cooper towards the house.

Sam blinks. "What's wrong with my jokes?"

Amelia laughs. "Give it up, Sam. Your standup career is just never gonna happen." She smiles and follows the rest of the group.

Sam swallows. "I'm funny. They're the ones without a sense of humor," he says to himself before walking towards the house.

* * *

Charlotte's standing in the kitchen, staring down at the sonogram picture she got on Monday, when Amelia walks in. "Have I ever told you how strong you are?"

"Don't," Amelia mutters, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I'm serious. I don't think I could have held it together as well as you did."

"I said, don't."

Charlotte nods. "Is Cooper still giving everyone a tour?"

Amelia nods.

"Thank you for the gift certificate. That'll come in handy. We still need a lot of furniture and other little accessories. Also, thank you for throwing us a party."

"Like I said, your house kicks Addison's house's ass."

Charlotte laughs. "She still throws the best parties, though."

"Well, she can throw the parties, and you can host them here."

"You doin' ok?"

Amelia nods. "Staying sober."

Charlotte smiles. "Good for you."

Amelia sighs. "Each day comes with its own challenges."

Charlotte nods. "That's life. There's nothin' you can 'bout that except you gotta take each day as its own entity. Each day is a fresh start, the day before it is erased, forgotten almost entirely."

Amelia nods.

Charlotte rests her hand on top of Amelia's and smiles. "Our journeys are different, but our goal is the same, so if you need to talk, I'm here. You should know that by now."

The rest of their colleagues walk into the kitchen, ending the conversation between the two friends.

Cooper slings his arm around his wife's shoulders and kisses the side of her head.

"Did you check on Mason? I told him we had company, but he just shrugged me off. I had to walk away before I screamed at him."

"He's fine. He's sitting up in bed reading a comic book. He said hello to everyone and I told him that there was some food leftover from dinner whenever he was hungry."

Charlotte sighs. "When everyone leaves, I'm gonna have a talk with him." She pauses. "I have no clue what's gotten into him, but I'm sure as hell gonna find out 'fore I leave his room."

Addison looks at Sam. "We should get going. I left Henry with the nanny and I don't want to keep her there all night. Plus, I miss him. I feel like I haven't seen him all day." She pauses. "Thanks for having us, guys. Your house is beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you for comin' and for the bottle of wine." Charlotte smiles. "Wish you guys could stay longer," she says, just to be polite.

"Next time," Sam offers and waves as he walks towards the front door.

"Just to be clear, Sam and I aren't a couple. We just carpooled," Addison explains, after glancing at Jake. A lot of establishments have a non-fraternization policy, and the look Jake's giving her, suggests why. "See you guys at the office on Monday." She waves and follows Sam to the door.

"Did you guys bring your bathing suits?"

"You told us to, Cooper," Sheldon says.

"Does anyone want to go swimming? The pool looks awesome at night and there's a waterfall in the Jacuzzi."

"I need to get going. Angela's moving into an apartment tomorrow and I promised her I'd help her. I have to be up early. Maybe another time, man." Jake pauses. "Thanks for having me."

"You're welcome," Charlotte offers. "And it seems like you and Addison think a lot alike, but hey, you can never have enough fancy, expensive wine, so thank you."

Jake pats Cooper on the back. "Your basement needs a pool table, that's what's missing."

Cooper nods. "Right."

"Give me a call if you get one." Jake waves and walks through the living room to the front door. "Thanks again," he says just before leaving the house.

Cooper looks at the dwindling group. "Swimming?"

"I need to go too, Cooper. I don't want Lucas with the nanny too long, especially right now, but you can bet that I'll stop by some time." Violet smiles and gives Charlotte an unexpected hug. "This is the best night I've had in a while, so thanks."

"This party was all Amelia's doin'. You should be thankin' her for the distraction." Charlotte pauses. "But thank you for comin' and for the—honestly, I don't know what the heck that is."

"It's an umbrella holder. I have one by my staircase. If it's raining outside, you always know where your umbrellas are."

"Well, uh, thank you. I'm sure we'll find a use for it." Charlotte laughs. "I hope you and Lucas are doin' ok."

"We're doing the best we can, but thanks." Violet gives Cooper a quick hug before walking out of the house.

Amelia and Sheldon leave next and then Charlotte and Cooper are alone again, looking at each other. He smiles. "Everyone else shut me down. Please, tell me you'll go swimming with me. I know you don't have to go home."

Charlotte laughs. "But I need to talk to Mason 'fore he falls asleep."

"You can talk to Mason tomorrow."

"And I can go swimming with you tomorrow too."

"Come on," he whines. "Please?"

Charlotte sighs. "Ok, fine, I'll go in the pool with you, but I'm skippin' the hot tub."

"Of course. Unless the temperature's just warm as opposed to streaming hot, I'm not letting you step foot in the hot tub. I like it hot, so you can stay in the pool."

She takes his hand and they walk up the steps to get their bathing suits on. She figures if she spends at least a half hour in the pool, she'll be calm and have something planned to say to Mason.

* * *

**_Review :)_**


	32. Chapter 32

Charlotte walks into the kitchen the next morning and finds Mason sitting at the counter, reading the comics in the newspaper. She smiles and heads over the refrigerator. "Good mornin', Mase." She's met with a shrug of his shoulder and dead, cold silence. She sighs. "You and I need to have a chat, mister." She pauses. "When you're done readin' that, meet me outside." She pours herself a tall glass of orange juice and heads out onto the patio.

Mason finishes the comic he's reading and gets up. Instead of going outside, he turns to walk out of the kitchen, but he runs right into Cooper.

Cooper messes up his son's hair and raises an eyebrow. "Where do you think you're going? Your momma needs to talk to you. Back it up and go outside."

Mason sighs and walks outside onto the patio, collapsing into the chair at the table. He spins around and around, and kicks the base of the table.

Charlotte sets her cup down on the glass tabletop and looks at her son. "What's wrong, sweetie?" She gets no response, just more silence. "I'm runnin' out of patience, Mason. I can't make this right if you won't tell me what's botherin' you."

He lifts his head and stops spinning. "I don't wanna talk, Charlotte."

"Did I do somethin' to upset you? I know you're mad that I didn't get to watch you play soccer, kiddo, but I'll come to the next one."

"The baby will just need you again," he mutters under his breath.

"Excuse me?" She reaches out her arm and brushes her hand against his. "Sweetie, please talk to me."

He rubs his eyes. "I don't want to."

"We're gonna sit here until you tell me what's wrong, so it's your call how long we're out here."

Five minutes go by and Mason's still tightlipped. He shifts on the chair and swallows. "Can I go to the bathroom?"

"I told you we're gonna sit out here until you talk."

"But I really gotta go."

"Well, when you tell me what's wrong, you can go to the bathroom."

He sighs. "I'll just hold it." He bites his bottom lip and blinks.

Another few minutes go by and Charlotte notices he's getting more uncomfortable. She sighs. "Mason, just talk to me."

"Can I please go to the bathroom?" He pauses. "I'll talk, ok? I'll talk. But I really gotta go." He's sweating and his hands are shaking at this point.

She nods. "Go."

He leaps out of the chair and runs into the house. He comes back out a couple minutes later and sits down.

"Better?"

He nods.

"Now, what's on your mind?"

He sighs.

"Is there a specific reason you're callin' me Charlotte again?"

"The baby will probably call you momma, right?"

"Well, I am her momma, so yes, she will."

"So I shouldn't call you that 'cause you're not my momma. You're my stepmom. We're not related like you and the baby are."

"Why does that matter, sweetie?"

He shrugs. "It just does."

She grabs his hand and smiles. "I'm still your momma, Mase. DNA doesn't bind us, love does."

"But you love her more."

"Who says? Where's your evidence?"

"You didn't come to my soccer game 'cause you had to make sure she was ok. Dad talks to your stomach all the time and gets so excited when he talks about the baby."

"That doesn't mean I love her more than I love you."

"But she's yours."

"So are you." She pauses. "Look, Mase, I'm sorry I couldn't come to your game, but you have to understand that I love you very much and that sometimes, yes, I'm going to have to choose your sister over you. She needs a lot of monitoring now to make sure she's ok and she'll continue to need a lot of monitoring after she's born, that's just how it is, but never for a second think that your daddy and I love her more than we love you, ok?"

He nods.

"You're very special to me, sweetie, and it hurts me when you're hurtin'. When you get stuck in your little moods, it's hard for me to see you like that. You can come and talk to me no matter what, about whatever you want. I can't fix things or help you if I don't know what's wrong."

He smiles.

"I completely get the jealousy, Mase. Your dad has no idea how to deal with it or what you're feelin', but I do. I've been there and I've gotten through it." She pauses. "Your daddy will tell ya that bein' an only child ain't all it's cracked up to be. It can get pretty lonely at times, and he's gonna hate me for sayin' this, but it got so lonely that he'd carry 'round this doll wherever he went." She laughs. _I'm gonna be in trouble. _"There will be times when your baby sister will make you wanna pull your hair out strand by stand, but there's nothin' like the love between siblings."

He nods, staying silent.

She shifts on the chair. "And your daddy _is_ really excited about the baby. Bein' a dad is the best thing in the world to him. He's got a son and now, he's gonna have a daughter. He's over the moon. But believe me, kid, he's just as fast to brag about you as he is to talk about the baby."

"Really?"

"You bet. I'll tell ya a little story. The second your momma showed up with you, he couldn't stop talkin' 'bout the fact that he had a son. He didn't even know you were his then. He was so excited over your shared love of strawberry milkshakes and that you both like to dip your fries in 'em. I don't think I've ever seen him that animated."

He smiles.

She pushes herself out of the chair and closes the gap between them. She drops a kiss on the top of his head and smiles. "Do you feel better?"

He nods. "Uh-huh."

"Are we on good terms again?"

He smiles. "Yes, momma."

She lets out a breath and blinks back tears. She hadn't realized just how much she missed hearing that from her son. "Come here."

He hops out of the chair and wraps his arms around her. He steps back and gives her stomach a kiss. He looks up at her and smiles. "Thanks."

She messes up his hair. "You're very welcome, sweetie." She kisses him again and swallows. "Now, your daddy videotaped your game on Monday, and I haven't gotten 'round to watchin' it yet, so how 'bout you and I go into the living room and watch it together. I heard you scored the winning goal."

He nods. "I did. I got tackled to the ground by my teammates. Since we won, the counselors took us mini-golfing on Tuesday and we didn't have to serve food to the tables all week. It was awesome."

She smiles. "I bet it was." She pauses. "We haven't talked in a week, so I wanna know everythin'."

He nods. "Where should I start?"

"Anywhere you'd like." She drapes her arm over his shoulders and they walk back into the house. From personal experience, she knows damn well that this isn't going to be the last conversation she has with her son about this particular topic, but she's hoping this one sticks in his mind for at least a little while.

* * *

Cooper's sitting at the counter eating a piece of toast when his wife and son walk past him. He raises an eyebrow and grins slightly.

Charlotte gives him the same look back and nods, continuing into the living room.

He lets out a sigh of relief and bites into his toast. _All's right with the world and life is good because my son and my wife are speaking again. Thank God. _He glances into the living room and smiles at the nonstop laughter coming from the couch. As hard as he tries, he'll never quite understand the bond that Mason and Charlotte share.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting in bed, curled up with a book. She can hardly stay awake, though. Her head keeps bobbing forward and her vision goes in and out as she attempts to read. She closes her eyes and blinks them open a few seconds later. She melts into the mattress and drops the book in her lap. She shuts her eyes and before she can help it, she's asleep.

Cooper walks into the bedroom and smiles. He takes the book from her light grasp and sets it on the nightstand. He brushes his lips against her forehead and then kisses the side of her nose. He quietly slips into the bathroom and after taking off his jeans and sweater, he crawls into bed beside her.

She stirs and rolls onto her side. "Hmm."

He runs his hand down her exposed arm and scoots closer to her, burying his face in her hair. He takes a whiff of her conditioner and then kisses the back of her head. "Goodnight."

"I'm not sleepin'," she slurs.

He laughs. "Yeah, ok."

"I'm not."

"You're resting your eyes, right? That's what my dad used to say when I'd catch him sleeping."

She swats at him and tugs on the sheet.

"Goodnight," he repeats and this time, he gets silence in return. He reaches over and switches off his light. He settles under the sheets and slings his arm over her.

She's beyond exhausted. She spent the whole day running around with Mason, doing whatever he wanted to do. They spent a couple hours at the beach, went to the park, got some ice cream, and spent the rest of the day playing videogames in the basement. She's tired and sore, but she knows Mason had a blast. Her fatigue and achiness are small prices to pay for her son's happiness.

It's only nine, so Cooper's not tired, but he presses his body against the back of hers and rests his head on his pillow. He closes his eyes and listens to her faint snores. Sometimes he finds her snoring irritating, but other times, like tonight, he finds it completely adorable. He runs his hand down her arm, his fingertips barely touching her skin. He feels her twitch underneath his hand, so he pulls back. "I love you," he whispers into her hair and by ten, he's soundly sleeping.

* * *

**_Hope you liked this chapter :)_**

**_Please review! _**


	33. Chapter 33

Charlotte walks in the front door around three o'clock and looks around at the empty house. She sets her bags down and heads up the steps. "Cooper?"

"In the nursery," Cooper calls out.

She pushes open the door and smiles. "You're puttin' the crib together."

"Good observation, Sherlock."

"Don't start with me today, Coop. I'm really not in the mood."

He sighs and looks at her. "What's wrong?"

"What isn't wrong?"

"Bad day?"

She nods, sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. "It's easily 102 degrees outside, the air conditioning at the practice broke down, I had a seven year-old with a UTI throw up on me 'cause she's afraid of needles, and by the time I got to the hospital around lunchtime, I already had a stack of paperwork a mile high on my desk. Plus, I'm 26 weeks pregnant on top of that."

He pouts his lips. "It's nice and cool in here."

She nods. "I have to go change before taking Mason to the dentist."

"You finally got him an appointment?"

"Mmhmm. I called there this mornin' just to see if there were any cancellations. I got lucky. His appointment's at 4:15. It's been a month since he fell by the pool and busted his tooth, but he's finally gonna get it fixed."

"Are you going back to work afterwards?"

"I have to. I pushed everything back about an hour, so I could take him. Since I haven't been home much, I'm goin' to take him out for dinner after his appointment."

"He'll like that. On the way to camp this morning, he asked me if you were gonna be home for dinner."

She sighs. "I'm tryin' to get as many hours as I can in 'fore I have to take off work when the baby comes. I wanna see as many patients and deal with as many issues as I can 'fore I leave."

He nods. "I know, but our son doesn't quite understand. He misses his momma, that's all."

"I feel guilty enough as it is, Coop. You don't have to remind me that I'm a horrible mother."

"Hey, that's not what I said."

"It's what you're thinkin'."

He pushes himself off the floor and walks over to her. He lifts her chin with his thumb and presses his lips against hers softly. "That's not what I'm thinking either, Char. You're a great mother. Mason wanting to spend more time with you should tell you that you're at least doing something right. Taking him out to dinner tonight is a perfect idea."

She nods. "I have to go change. I feel gross."

He steps away from her and smiles. "You're an amazing mother, Char. Our kids are lucky to have you."

She smiles back at him as she stands up. "Thank you, Coop."

"You're welcome," he says, getting back down on the floor in front of the dismantled crib.

"Read the directions, Coop."

"I don't need the directions. I can put a crib together."

"Our daughter is goin' to be sleepin' in that crib when she gets home from the hospital. Read the damn directions, Cooper."

He sighs. "Fine. I'll read the stupid directions."

She rolls her eyes and walks out of the nursery, heading down the hallway to her bedroom.

* * *

At 5:30, Charlotte's sitting across the table from Mason at a diner. She scans the menu and then glances over at Mason. "You're thinkin' pretty hard over there, Mase."

Mason looks up. "I can't decide what I want."

"Well, I'm gettin' a bacon cheeseburger."

"Um, um—." He closes his eyes and moves his finger around the page. He stops and opens his eyes. "Grilled cheese."

She laughs at her son's method. "You and your daddy are the same person. I'm convinced." She smiles and takes a sip of her water. She stands up and looks at her son. "If the waitress comes back, you think you can handle orderin' me a bacon cheeseburger? Well done."

He nods. "Uh-huh. Fries?"

"Mmhmm—sweet potato fries."

"I can handle it."

She smiles and walks to the bathroom. She comes back a few minutes later and sits back down.

"I ordered your food."

"Thank you, sweetie." She pauses and blinks.

"Are you ok, momma?"

She nods. "Just fine, Mase. Your sister just kicked me."

Mason stands up and walks over to her. He rests his hand on her stomach and looks at her. He smiles. "I felt it. Wow." His eyes widen when his sister kicks him again. "That's really cool." He sits back down and drinks his sprite. "Momma?"

She nods. "What is it, sweetie?"

"Will the surgery fix her? I mean, will it make her all better?"

"That's the goal, and most likely, yes, the surgery will make her all better."

He stirs his soda with the straw and stares at the fizzy bubbles.

"What's wrong?"

He just shakes his head and sighs.

"You can tell me."

"I don't want things to change. I like things the way they are now."

She sighs. She knows he's had enough change this year to last a lifetime, and she wishes she could tell him that things aren't going to change, but the bottom line is, they are. She takes a long sip of her water and blinks. "Things are goin' to change, Mase, but your daddy and I will always love you—that's one thing that won't ever change." She pauses. "Change is good sometimes. This one will be. I promise."

He sighs and gives her a slow nod. "I don't really know what I'm supposed to do."

"What do you mean?"

"As a big brother, I don't know what that really means."

"Ah, I see." She smiles. "Well, you just be you. You love her, you teach her things, you encourage her, and you help me and your daddy out when we need it."

"I think I can do that."

"I know you can." Her stomach growls. "I'm starvin'."

"Me too."

The waitress comes over and sets their food in front of them. "Can I get you anything else?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "We're good, thank you."

The waitress nods and walks back to the kitchen.

Charlotte cuts her burger in half and takes a bite. She smiles. "That's heaven." She pauses. "How's your grilled cheese?"

"Delicious, but do you want my pickle?"

"I'd love your pickle."

He makes a face as he puts the pickle on her plate. "Blech."

"Not a fan?"

He shakes his head. "No way."

She laughs. "I wasn't a big fan of 'em either until I got pregnant."

"Can I get dessert, momma?"

"Eat your dinner first."

He nods and nibbles on a French fry.

Their conversation fades and they eat their dinner in relative silence.

He pushes his plate away and looks at Charlotte. "Can I get a strawberry milkshake?"

She nods. "Go for it."

"Are you gonna get anything?"

She shakes her head. "I can't eat another thing. I'll have somethin' when I get home from work tonight."

He sighs.

"When the baby comes, I'm gonna be home for at least two months, Mase, so I'm tryin' to work as much as I can before she's born."

"Dad says you work too much."

"Your daddy's probably right." She pauses. "But you can tell him that I'm takin' care of myself—restin' when I can, drinkin' tons of water, and stayin' away from the really sick patients. He doesn't need to worry about me."

The waitress comes back to the table. "Can I interest you in some dessert?"

"I want a strawberry milkshake."

Charlotte clears her throat.

"Please," he adds.

"Anything for you, miss?"

She shakes her head. "No, thank you, but I'd like the check when you get a chance."

The waitress nods and walks towards the kitchen. She comes back a few minutes later with the check and Mason's strawberry milkshake.

Charlotte nudges him under the table.

"Thanks," he says to the waitress before she leaves again. He grabs the check and looks at it.

"You gonna foot the bill?"

"I would, but I left my wallet in my other pants."

She smiles.

He gives her the check and drinks his milkshake. "Mmmm."

She watches him for a second and then stands up. "I'm goin' to go pay. I'll be right back."

He nods.

She walks towards the front counter, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

He finishes his milkshake and gets up. He walks over to her and smiles. "All done."

She messes up his hair while waiting for her change.

"Thanks for dinner, momma."

"You're welcome, sweetie." She hands him a quarter. "You want a gumball?"

He nods and walks into the lobby area.

"Just watch your tooth." She pauses. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Stay there."

He gives her a nod and turns the knob on the gumball machine. "Yes! A blue one." He pops it in his mouth and bites down.

She comes back and smiles. "Your tooth ok?"

He flashes her a blue tinged grin. "Uh-huh."

She laughs and drapes her arm over his shoulders. "Let's go."

He pushes open the door and holds it open for her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He runs towards the car and jumps into the front seat.

She gets in and pulls out of the parking lot. "I'm just gonna drop you off. I have a meetin' to get to."

He nods. "Ok."

She turns on the radio and focuses on the traffic.

He leans against the door and stares out the window.

She glances over at him when she comes to a red light. She notices the reflection of his teary eyes in the window and sighs. "Mason?"

He swallows and stays silent.

She reaches over and touches his shoulder. "You ok, sweetie?"

He nods.

She turns her head forward and eases on the gas. She can hear his soft sniffles and her heart falls into her stomach. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

He doesn't answer her, just gives her a slight shake of his head.

She lets him be for now, as hard as that is. She sighs and drops him off at the house. She watches him run in and shut the door. She swallows and backs out of the driveway. She turns the car around and heads back to the hospital.

* * *

_Please review! _

_:)_


	34. Chapter 34

Charlotte's sitting on the couch later that night, watching the eleven o'clock news, when Mason walks down the steps in his pajamas, his hair disheveled. She turns her head and smiles. "Hey, sweetie."

Mason climbs up onto the couch and leans against her slightly. "Where's dad?"

"He got called into the hospital." She pauses. "You should be in bed."

He fights back a yawn and nods. "I know." He pauses. "I had a dream about my mom."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

He shakes his head. "Can I just sit here with you?"

She nods. "You wanna talk about what happened earlier?"

He shakes his head.

"You can tell me anythin', Mase. I've told you that before."

He separates from her. "I don't wanna talk. Don't you ever just not wanna talk about something?"

She sighs. _All the time. _"Let me know if you change your mind, ok?"

He nods and curls up beside her, hooking his arm around hers, almost possessively.

She looks down and watches him breathe, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest somewhat comforting. It's times like this that she wishes she knew how to take his pain away.

A few minutes of silence passes, then he lifts his head off her shoulder and looks at her. "Momma?"

She nods. "Yeah, Mase?"

He swallows. "Did you name the baby yet?"

She shakes her head. "No, we haven't. Why?"

He shifts. "Can we—is it ok if we name her after my mom?" He pauses. "It's alright if you don't want to," he whispers, almost too low to be understood.

She blinks. Her heart grows heavy in her chest and her breathing becomes slow. She can see that his eyes are shiny as a thin layer of tears covers them. He's trying not to fall apart, she can tell. She just offers him a smile and brushes her thumb across his cheeks, wiping away the few tears that have spilled over his bottom lids. "Your daddy and I haven't really discussed names yet, but I'll make sure to put your momma's name on the list."

He smiles. "Ok." He attaches himself to her side again and lets out a breath as he lowers his head back down to her shoulder.

She sets her plate on the side table and adjusts her position. She wraps her arms around him and rubs his upper arm. She feels his breath against her neck and when she glances away from the TV and down at him, she realizes he's fallen asleep. She smiles and hears her phone buzz on the side table. She grabs it and looks at the message. It's just a text from Cooper letting her know he'll be home soon. She sends back an 'Ok' and gets back to watching the news.

* * *

Charlotte's woken up by a gentle shake. She rubs her eyes and blinks a few times. She glares at Cooper and groans. "You've got some nerve, Coop."

Cooper smiles. "Sorry."

She stretches and looks around. "Where's Mason?"

"I brought him up to bed. He's safely tucked in."

She smiles and glances at the clock. "I've been asleep for two hours?"

He shrugs. "I guess. I just got home. I texted you again to let you know I was going to be later than I thought. I just assumed you got it."

She fights back a yawn and stands up. "Everythin' ok?"

He nods. "Just routine stuff and then I spent about twenty minutes trying to calm Violet down."

"Why was she at the hospital this late?"

He sighs. "Lucas got scared and was hiding under the table when a couple screws came loose."

"Oh, God, is he ok?"

He nods. "He's fine, thankfully, but Violet was a basket-case."

"Well, do ya blame her?"

"No." He pauses. "I needed to calm her down so she wouldn't freak Lucas out even more." He smiles. "She's fine now, asleep by Lucas' bedside."

"That's good."

"Uh-huh." He pauses. "Anything eventful happen here?"

She shakes her head. "Not really, except that Mason asked if we could name the baby after his momma."

"What'd you tell him?"

"That I'd add her name to the mental list I've got goin' in my head."

"You have a list? How many names do you have on this list?"

"Includin' Erica's? One."

He laughs. "Oh."

"One of these days we'll sit down and talk 'bout baby names."

He nods. "We will soon—soonish." He closes the gap between their lips and kisses her, surprising her.

She swallows and hooks her arm around his neck, cupping the back of his head.

He deepens the kiss and smiles against her lips. He separates from her slightly and brushes his lips against the side of her nose before stepping back.

She sucks on her bottom lip and looks at him. "You could warn a girl first."

He shrugs. "You're my wife. I don't have to tell you when I'm about to kiss you." He smiles and grabs her plate. He walks into the kitchen and sets the plate in the dishwasher.

She follows him and grabs a water bottle from the refrigerator. "Meet me in my office tomorrow around 12 and bring lunch. We can talk about baby names." She pauses. "I'll text you tomorrow to let you know what I want for lunch and also if somethin' comes up and I have to cancel.

He smiles. "Ok, sounds good to me." He pauses. "St. Ambrose?"

She nods. "Mmhmm." She yawns again and swallows.

"Let's go to bed." He walks over to her and places a kiss on her temple.

She smiles and they walk out of the kitchen and up the steps to their bedroom. She disappears into the bathroom and comes back out a couple minutes later. She crawls into bed beside her husband and rolls onto her side. She lets her head sink into the pillow and she closes her eyes. She feels his hand push up the sleeve of her T-shirt and then feels his lips brush against her skin. "Hmmm," she whispers, as his breath tickles her.

He pulls on the sheets and settles right behind her. He slings his arm around her and nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck. His hand rests lightly on her stomach and he smiles. "Blue's awake."

She nods. "Uh-huh," she mumbles, sleepily. Despite the junior gymnast in her womb, she falls asleep shortly after that.

He scoots back a little, resting his head on his pillow, and stays awake for a few more minutes before falling asleep.

* * *

_Please Review_


	35. Chapter 35

The next day, Cooper's standing at the front desk at the practice, reading his messages.

Addison walks out into the lobby with Henry in her arms. "Good morning, Cooper."

Cooper turns his head and lets his pink slips fall to the counter. He looks at Henry and then pumps some hand sanitizer into his palms. He rubs his hands together and scoops the infant out of his mother's arms. He coos softly and pulls his blanket away from his face. "He's getting so big." He rocks him and tickles him. He can't help but picture himself holding his own child in his arms.

She nods.

Henry whimpers and squirms in Cooper's arms.

Cooper bounces him. "It's ok, Henry. Shhh." He pauses and slips his finger into the infant's mouth, feeling his gums. "Poor little guy."

Henry sucks on Cooper's finger, tears rolling down his chubby cheeks.

Cooper carries him into the kitchen and soaks a clean rag in cold water. He wrings it out a little and puts that in place of his finger.

Henry chews on the towel, his eyes still glassy.

"That's better." He turns his head and looks at Addison, who's standing in the doorway. "Sorry. I kind of just kidnapped your son." He laughs.

She shakes her head. "It's fine. He's teething. His gums are really swollen."

"Just give him things to chew on. Try all different things. Most of my infant patients don't like frozen teething rings too much, though. Henry seems to like the cool dish rag." He looks down at the baby and touches the tip of his nose. "Doncha, little guy?" He hands him back to Addison and messes up the wisps of brown hair on top of his head.

She adjusts her son and gives him a kiss on the top of his head.

"Don't you have a nanny?"

She nods. "The nanny's sick."

"Ah. That explains why Henry's in the office with you today." He glances at his watch and runs his hand over Henry's head. "I have to prep for a patient."

"Wait."

He stops walking towards the door and turns back to face the redhead. "Yeah?"

"How does Charlotte feel about babyshowers?"

He bites on his bottom lip and shakes his head. "Eh," he says, drawing out the syllable.

"You don't think she'd want one?"

He shakes his head again. "Uh-uh." He pauses. "With what Amelia had to go through and is still going through, I don't think she'd want one. Plus, baby-themed games and activities aren't really her thing." He laughs.

Addison nods. "I thought so. I was just making sure."

"It's not like anyone has time for that anyway, especially Charlotte."

"True."

He coos and waves to Henry before walking out of the kitchen, heading towards his office.

* * *

Cooper walks down the hallway to Charlotte's office at five minutes to twelve. He knocks and lets himself in after he hears the faint 'come in'. He shuts the door and walks over to her. He just sits down in the chair, seeing that she's busy.

A couple minutes later, Charlotte hangs up the phone and looks at him. "Hey."

He smiles. "That sounded serious."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm just talkin' to the president of the board, tryin' to figure out who's gonna be my stand-in when I go on maternity leave. I'm tryin' to get it all figured out now, so I don't have to worry about it later. Lord knows, I'm gonna have a lot more important things on my mind."

He nods and sets her salad in front of her. "Did I get it right?"

She scans the contents of her salad: lettuce, extra cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, croutons, cranberries, and apple slices. She nods. "Mmhmm."

He lets out a sigh of relief. "Good."

She smiles. "What'd you get?"

"Plain old hamburger. You want some of my fries?"

"Maybe. Save some for me."

He nods. "I'll try." He laughs and opens his container. "I brought a baby name book, so we can look at that after we eat."

She picks up her fork and eyes her salad.

"Everything ok?"

She nods and moves the lettuce around. "There're cucumbers in here."

"Um, is that a problem?"

"I don't like cucumbers."

"Since when?"

"Since right this minute. What does it matter?"

He sighs. "I'll eat your cucumbers. Can you eat around them or just pick them out?"

She nods.

"Next time I'll tell them to hold the cucumbers." He takes a bite of his hamburger and closes his eyes. _Damn, that's good. _

She pops a tomato into her mouth and sighs when the phone rings. She quickly chews and swallows before answering the call. She shakes her head and hangs up thirty seconds later.

"Something wrong?"

"Nope." She goes back to eating her salad.

He steals a glance at her and smiles.

She lifts her head. "Stop starin' at me."

He laughs and focuses on his lunch.

* * *

After they finish eating, Charlotte and Cooper are sitting on the couch, hip to hip. She takes a sip from her water bottle and grabs the baby name book off the coffee table. "I've been thinkin' 'bout what Mason asked me last night."

"About us naming the baby after his mom?"

She nods. "I think we should do it."

"I bet it would mean a lot to Mason."

She smiles. "Which is why I think we should do it. Plus, Erica's the mother of our son. We have to honor her somehow."

He nods. "I agree." He pauses. "First or middle name?"

"Middle name."

"That takes care of that, now we have to figure out what her first name is gonna be."

She opens the book to As. She stares down at the page and shutters.

"You ok?"

She nods. "I'm fine. Just very overwhelmed."

"Let's just start with the As and work our way through the alphabet."

She nods.

He hooks his arm around her and kisses the side of her head. "We're not making any final decisions yet."

"I know. There are just so many names and this isn't like tryin' to figure out what restaurant to get take-out from."

"Just take a deep breath, in and out, and focus."

She nods. "I'm good." She rubs between his shoulder blades and breathes in and out. "I'm ready." She swallows. "I guess, Blue's ready too." She smiles. "Ah."

He rests his hand on her stomach and pouts.

"Give her a second, Coop." She shifts. "Feel that?"

He nods. "I was holding Henry this morning, and it just made me more anxious for Blue to be born. He's getting so big, and his personality is really starting to show now."

She swallows and looks down at the first page of the book.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Nothin'." She pauses. "I have to get back to work soon, so are we gonna look at some names or what?"

He knows something's bothering her, but there's no sense in upsetting her. He'll ask her again tonight. "Let's check out some names."

She's anxious for Blue to be born, but in a different sense than he is. She's a little nervous about labor and the whole birth process, but she's more nervous about what's going to happen after. The fate of her daughter is still up in the air. Everything has been going according to plan so far. All her checkups have been good. The baby is still on track and there are no new scares to report, but the severity of her condition is still unknown.

He sighs and brushes a tear from her cheek. "I'm scared too," he whispers, reading her mind.

She turns her head and rubs her eyes. She hadn't realized she was crying. She blinks and presses her lips against his, framing his face with her hands.

"Hmm," he mumbles against her lips, taken by surprise. He rests his hand on the side of her head and reciprocates the kiss.

She drops her hands and pushes him onto his back. She slides her hand down his chest and opens her eyes.

"Char—."

"Shhh." She needs this. She needs a distraction.

He shifts, switching positions with her. He'll give her this. He knows she was trying not to think about the diagnosis or the possible outcomes. It's his fault it's on her mind now, so he'll distract her. He'll do anything to make her feel better.

"Thank you," she whispers and goes back to kissing him.

They'll have to discuss baby names some other time.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte's in the basement with Mason, playing Wii. She swings the controller, letting out a soft grunt.

Mason smiles at her and serves the ball back to her. "Ha. I beat you again, momma."

She lets out a defeated sigh and whisks the sweat from her forehead. "Good game."

"Rematch?"

"Mase—."

"Please?"

She relents. "One more match."

He smiles wider and sets up the game.

She downs half her water bottle and bends her knees slightly. "I'm gonna beat you this time."

"You've got your game face on, momma. I'm scared."

She laughs and cuts through the air with her controller, serving the ball across the net.

"Good one." He swings, hitting the ball back. "You're no match for the Wii tennis master."

"We'll see 'bout that." She grunts as she swings.

He swings and misses. "Gah! I had that." He quickly focuses on the game again, hitting her second serve back to her.

After several minutes of back and forth play, the score's tied. "Next point wins." She gets in position, wrinkling her brow and rolling out her controller hand. She squints and nods. "It's your serve. Give me your worst." She sucks on her bottom lip and jerks forward, hitting the ball back over the net.

He laughs. He loves that she's so competitive. He actually feels accomplished when he beats her at this game. His dad practically hands him the win. It's not a challenge.

She steps towards the TV, another grunt escaping.

He looks at her and sighs. He misses his shot because he's not paying attention to the game anymore. He loosens his controller and lets it fall to the floor.

She looks at him. "Why'd you give up just now?"

He grabs a piece of pizza and pulls the cheese off. He sits on the coffee table and looks up at her. "Are we still gonna play Wii when the baby comes?"

She takes off her controller and sits down beside him. "You kiddin'? Course we will."

He smiles.

She wipes her face off with a towel and kisses the top of his head. "Let's take a little break and we'll rematch. No givin' up this time."

He nods. "Ok." He changes seats, sitting on the couch now.

She stands up and messes up his hair. "You want a soda?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, please."

She smiles and walks over to the bar. She opens the mini-fridge and grabs a Sprite and another water bottle. She goes back over to the couch. "Catch."

He turns around and catches the can. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She walks around the couch and puts her water bottle down on the table. She disappears into the bathroom and then takes a sit next to Mason. She lets out a breath and pushes her hair out of her face. She's dripping with sweat and out of breath, not to mention, tired and sore, but the smile on her son's face makes it all worth it.

"When's dad getting home?"

She's about to answer when she hears the front door open and shut. "Right now." She laughs and stands up. "I'll be right back. Get the game ready."

He nods and hops up. He resets the game and puts his controller back around his wrist, waiting for her to come back downstairs.

* * *

Charlotte heads up the steps and finds Cooper in the kitchen. "You're home late."

Cooper grabs the milk out of the fridge and turns his head. "You're home early." He laughs and raises an eyebrow. "You're all red and sweaty."

"I've been playin' Wii with Mason for the last half hour. Pizza, soda, videogames, and his momma—that boy's in heaven."

He smiles and pours himself a glass of milk. "I'll come down and join you in a minute." He pauses. "You ok?"

She knows he's referring to what happened in her office earlier. She nods. "I'm fine." She smiles, a last ditch effort to convince him she's telling the truth.

He nods. He's not sure if he 100 percent believes her. She's told him she was fine before when she clearly wasn't, but he'll give her the benefit of the doubt here and take her 'I'm fine' as the real deal. "You guys gonna play another game?"

She nods. "Mmhmm. You can play winner." She pauses. "How was work?"

He pulls a white teddy bear from his backpack and hands it to her.

"Um, what's this have to do with my question?"

He laughs. "One of my patients gave him to me 'cause she knows we're having a baby. She says that everyone gives her mommy teddy bears now that she's pregnant. She's a cute kid."

"How old?"

"Six."

"That was sweet of her." She hands the teddy bear back to Cooper. "Well, none of my patients gave me a teddy bear, but I did catch one starin' at my ass. That was a fun consult."

"What?"

She laughs. "Not important."

"Momma, are you coming back down?"

She hears Mason's voice carry up the steps. "He's waiting for me. I better get back downstairs." She pauses. "There's some leftover pizza if you didn't eat dinner."

"Plain? Pepperoni? Onion? Sausage?"

"Half plain, half meat lovers. There are some slices of both left."

"Ok. I'll be down in a minute."

She nods and disappears back down into the basement.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting up in bed, reading, when there's a knock on her door. She looks up. "Come in, Mase." She just assumes it's him because Cooper probably wouldn't knock to come into his own room.

The door opens and sure enough, Mason walks in.

She smiles.

"I wish you would have come to get ice cream with us, momma." He crawls onto the bed and scoots up to the pillows.

"Wii tennis kicked my butt." She laughs. "You need somethin', sweetie?"

He shakes his head. "No. I just wanted to tell you that I had fun playing Wii earlier."

"I did too, kiddo."

"Whatcha reading?"

"Parenting for dummies." She laughs. "Just kiddin'." She pauses and shows him the cover.

"To Kill a Mockingbird? I've never heard of it. Is it any good?"

"It's my favorite book. I grew up in the same town in Alabama as the author did." She sets the book on the nightstand and shifts on the mattress.

Cooper walks into the bedroom and smiles at them. "Go get ready for bed, Mason."

"But it's summer."

"I didn't say you had to go to bed. I said to go get ready for bed."

He looks at Charlotte. "Can we watch a movie in here?"

She nods. "Which movie?"

"Um, _Transformers_—no, _Wall-E._"

"Again?"

"Yes."

"Ok."

He smiles and heads down the hallway to his bedroom.

Cooper goes downstairs to get the movie and then comes back into the bedroom. He gets the DVD all set up and gets more comfortable. He sees Charlotte yawn out of the corner of his eye. "You're not gonna make it through the movie, are you?"

She swallows another yawn. "Probably not."

A couple minutes later, Mason walks into the room and gets back into the bed. He slips under the covers and scoots closer to Charlotte. He leans against her and rests his head on her shoulder, angling his face towards the TV.

Cooper smiles and gets into bed. He kisses the top of Mason's head and presses play. He switches off the lights and glances at Charlotte. "Goodnight," he whispers.

"Goodnight," she whispers back and drapes her arm over her son as he gets more comfortable. She closes her eyes, listening to the previews. She yawns and about five minutes into the actual movie, she's out cold.

Mason ends up falling asleep halfway through the movie, but Cooper doesn't have the heart to wake him up. He turns off the TV, rolls onto his side, and slings his arm over both his wife and son, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**_Thanks for the reviews _**


	36. Chapter 36

Two weeks later, Charlotte's at the center island in the kitchen, drinking a glass of orange juice and trying to acclimate herself with today's patients before leaving for work. Today's Mason's first day of school, which is why she didn't leave at the crack of dawn, like she usually does.

A less than enthused nine year-old boy drags his feet into the kitchen and pours himself a bowl of Fruit Loops. He sighs loudly, getting Charlotte's attention.

"First day of fourth grade. You excited?"

He just gives her a look and sits down at the counter.

She rubs his shoulder. "You'll have fun." She takes another sip of her orange juice and watches him out of the corner of her eye. "Nervous?"

He shrugs. "Maybe a little." He pauses. "But I'm excited about seeing my friends 'cause they've been away all summer at camp or on vacation."

She nods and nibbles on her toast. "You want my last piece?"

"No, thanks." He drinks his milk from the bowl and hops off the stool. He walks towards the living room, but stops suddenly when he hears Charlotte clear her throat.

"I hope you're not about to leave that bowl on the counter, Mason."

He turns around slowly and walks back over to the island. He grabs his bowl and puts it in the dishwasher.

"Thank you." She pauses. "You ready?"

"I just gotta brush my teeth." He pauses. "Are you driving me to school?"

"Sorry, kiddo, I have to go to work. I just wanted to see you before you left." She smiles.

"Ok." He smiles back—albeit a small one—and leaves the kitchen.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting in her office at the practice when there's a knock on her door. She groans as she pushes herself out of the chair, and walks over to the door. She opens it and holds onto the handle, looking at Amelia. "Everythin' ok?"

Amelia just shakes her head and invites herself into her friend's office. She sits on the couch, her hands shaking.

Charlotte pads over to her and stands in front of the couch. She blinks. "Amelia?" She pauses. "Do you want to go to a meetin'?"

"Can we just sit here for a minute?"

Charlotte nods and sits down beside her friend. "How'd your surgery go?"

Amelia shutters.

"Oh." Charlotte pauses. "It happens. I bet you did everythin' you could, and that's all anyone can do."

Amelia blinks slowly. "I don't know what happened. He was fine one minute and then he just, he just wasn't." She pauses. "After I told his family, his wife slapped me and his daughter wouldn't stop crying, saying I killed her father. I tried to explain it, but my mind went blank." She sighs.

Charlotte takes Amelia's hand and cups it between both of hers. "You did everythin' you could, but sometimes everythin' just isn't enough. As doctors, we can't fix everyone, we can't save everyone's life, that's just how it is."

"Were you busy?"

"Um, yeah, but it's ok." Charlotte shifts on the couch cushion and squeezes Amelia's hand.

The door opens and Cooper pokes his head in. "Hey, you ready to go to lunch?" He glances from his wife to Amelia. "Oh, sorry. I interrupted something."

"I'll come find you when I'm ready, Coop."

He smiles and backs away, heading to the kitchen.

"He's been so clingy lately. I'm gettin' sick of it."

"At least you have someone in your life who gives a damn about you."

"Every last person in this office cares about you, Amelia."

"That's not what I meant." Amelia pauses. "I've been thinking a lot about Ryan lately. Seeing how Cooper acts around you, I keep thinking about what it would have been like if Ryan was here when I was pregnant. How would he have reacted when I told him I was pregnant or when I found out—well, you know. Things might have been different if he was here. I would have held up better after it was all over if he was here."

"I know you loved him, Amelia, but he wasn't good for you, and deep down, I know you know that. Things might have been different, but not in the way you're picturin' them. What you and he had wasn't real."

Amelia abruptly stands up and opens the door. "How would you know? You're not me and you're not him, so you have no authority here, Charlotte." She leaves the office in a huff, heading for the elevator.

Cooper passes by her office on the way to his, but catching Amelia rush down the hallway, he decides to walk in. "What was that about?"

"I said somethin' to her that she didn't wanna hear, that's all." Charlotte pauses. "Maybe I shouldn't have said it, but I can't take it back now."

He sits on the couch and kisses the side of her head. "Does this mean you're canceling lunch?"

She shakes her head. "No." She stands up and walks over to her desk. "Just give me a minute." She closes her laptop and grabs her purse and jacket. "Are we just headin' to the promenade?"

He nods. "Unless you want to go somewhere else."

"Promenade's fine." She pushes in her chair and grabs her keys. "Ready." She smiles and walks out of her office.

He follows her. "Amelia will cool off and everything will be fine."

She nods. "Hope so." She locks her door and hooks her arm around his back. She looks up at him and smiles. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just for bein' supportive—'bout everythin'."

He leans down and closes the gap between their lips. He pulls back and kisses her on the cheek. "You're welcome." He smiles and they head down the hallway.

* * *

Around 3:30, Charlotte walks into Cooper's office. She smiles and walks over to Mason, who's busy building a small city out of tongue depressors. "Hey, you."

Mason looks up. "Hey, momma."

"You know where your daddy disappeared to?"

"He's in exam room three."

"How was school?"

"It was just the first day, so it was all introductions and review stuff."

"That doesn't answer my question."

He laughs. "Oh." He pauses. "It was good."

"You tryin' out for a play this year?"

He nods. "I think so. We won't know the play until next month. That's when auditions are too."

"Whatcha makin'?"

"A city out of tongue depressors."

"You need some more?"

"No, I think I have enough."

She walks closer to him and sits on the chair. She watches him for a couple minutes and then says, "Do you like stayin' at the office until one of us is done with work?"

He shrugs. "Sometimes it's fun and I sometimes I finish my homework before we even get home, so that's nice."

"Your school has an after school program, right?"

He nods. "But only the weird kids stay after school."

"I'm sure they're not weird, Mason."

"If you saw them, you'd agree with me, momma."

She sighs. "Maybe you can go home with one of your friends after school some days, so you're not stuck here all the time, or is there any clubs that you'd be interested in? I mean, until the play eats up most of your after school time."

"They have a karate club. Logan's in it. He says it's really fun."

"Well, you think about it and let me or your daddy know tonight, ok?"

He nods.

She stands up and kisses the top of his head. "Have fun buildin' your city."

"Did you need dad?"

"I just need to talk to him about somethin'. I'll catch up with him later." She pauses. "I'll see you tonight, Mase." She walks out of Cooper's office and goes back down the hallway.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte walks through the front door of the house and immediately crashes onto the couch. She doesn't want to be in this day anymore.

Cooper comes down the steps and smiles. "Hey, you're home."

"Hey, good observation."

He sighs. "Bad day?"

"You could say that."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not particularly." She pauses. "Mason upstairs?"

"He's getting his binders organized and his books covered." He pauses. "He told me that you talked to him about after school stuff."

She nods. "There's no reason he has to sit in your office and be bored all afternoon. Plus, him not havin' to be picked up until later will make our lives easier too. How many times have you asked me to get him from school 'cause somethin' came up, or vise versa?"

He nods. "A lot."

"Exactly."

He smiles. "Did this just pop into your head? It seems really random."

She laughs. "I don't know what made me think of it. I just did."

"He really wants to do karate. If he likes the club, we might just have to sign him up for lessons."

"It'll be good for him." She pauses and changes the subject. "Amelia has been givin' me the cold shoulder since earlier."

"What did you say to her?"

"Somethin' stupid. She has a right to be pissed."

He sighs. "Just give her time. You two always make up eventually."

She nods.

"Did you eat?"

"I got somethin' at the hospital."

"If you're hungry, there's a hamburger patty in the fridge. It's on a plate, covered with saran wrap."

"I need somethin' sweet." She stands up and disappears into the kitchen. "Are those brownies?"

"Double fudge," he says, following her.

She cuts a small square and sinks her teeth into it. Her eyes brighten and she smiles. "Oh my God."

He laughs. "They're good, aren't they?"

She finishes her brownie and cuts another square. "Mmhmm," she mumbles, her mouth full of brownie. She swallows and recovers the glass tray. "Take those away from me 'fore I eat my weight in brownies." She walks over to the refrigerator and pours herself a glass of milk.

"Mason wanted brownies."

"Those were amazin'." She smiles and licks her lips. "Definitely hit the spot." She goes over to the desk and shuffles through the mail.

"There's nothing, just bills."

"I see that." She pauses. "Anyone call for me?"

"Nope. You expecting someone to?"

She shakes her head. "No. I was only askin'." She puts her glass in the dishwasher and rubs her stomach. "She hasn't stopped kickin' and tumblin' all damn day."

"You just fed her sugar. She's not gonna stop now."

"Great." She pauses. "At least I know she's alive." She heads into the hall bathroom and shuts the door.

He pours himself a glass of milk and sits down at the island.

She comes back into the kitchen and walks over to him. She gives him a kiss on the cheek and smiles. "How was your day?" She leans against the counter and looks at him.

"Nothing special, but I did get two chips from the vending machine at the hospital for the price of one." He pauses. "I know your day wasn't the best, but something good had to happen today."

"Um, I didn't kill anyone."

"Always a good thing." He smiles.

She yawns and swallows. "I'm gonna head up to bed, maybe read my book or fiddle around on my laptop. You stayin' down here?"

"I was just planning on watching TV. You want company? 'Cause I can watch TV in the bedroom."

She nods. "You want to talk baby names?"

He smiles. "I'll bring the book up with me."

She kisses him and walks out of the kitchen, heading upstairs.

* * *

Charlotte's lying in bed on top of the comforter, waiting for Cooper.

Cooper walks in and changes into sweatpants and his GYM T-shirt. He gets into bed and presses his lips to her temple. He scoots closer to her and opens the book to the As. "You ready to do this for real?"

She nods. "I am."

"Ok, then let's do it."

She smiles. "Let's do it." She peers over his arm and takes in a deep breath. They've got a daunting task ahead—picking the perfect name out of a sea of thousands of names.

He grabs a notepad from his bedside drawer and pulls the pen cap off with his teeth. "You still want to name the baby after your horse?"

She looks at him. "You remember that?"

"How could I forget?"

She shrugs. "To answer your question, no, I don't. That was just the first name that came to my mind. Our kid would probably get made fun of if we name her Marjorie. It's a little too old fashioned for the 21st century. Plus, if she finds out we named her after a horse, we might have issues." She laughs.

He nods. "Just checking." He pauses. "If we have another girl, her middle name can be Marjorie if you want."

"Hold on a minute. Are you seriously already talkin' 'bout another kid 'fore I even pop this one out?"

"Let's just focus on naming Blue."

"Agreed." She pauses. "And just so you know, if, and that's a big if, we have another baby, it's not gonna be for a while."

He nods.

"Alright. Baby names." She laughs. _This should be interestin'. _

He opens the book to a random page, landing on the Js. He scans the list and looks at her. "What about Jaclyn?"

"Uh, no."

He scribbles it down just in case and moves on. "Jaylen?"

"No."

"Jocelyn?"

"I don't know." She pauses. "But the names endin' in N sound best with Erica—at least I think so."

"That's a hard name."

She nods. "I know."

"Anyway." He pauses. "Jordyn?"

She shrugs. "Maybe."

He flips the page. "Kailyn?"

"No."

He looks at her. "Do you like anything?"

"Just write 'em down. Maybe one of the names will speak to me if they're on paper." She pauses. "Write them out just how they'll be on her birth certificate—first name, middle name, last name. It'll be easier to pick one if we see her full name."

"What is her last name going to be?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is it just going to be Freedman or is it going to be King-Freedman?"

"Oh, uh, I don't know."

"Do you know anything tonight? Jeez."

"Well, sorry."

He sighs. "We'll talk about that later. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me. It's up to you whether you want our daughter to have your last name or not."

"Can we just keep lookin' through the book?"

He nods. "Ok." He pauses and flips through the book. "Lauren?"

She shakes her head.

"Madelyn?"

"Eh, I don't know if I like the double M—Mason and Madelyn. If we have another kid, we'd probably have to pick an M name, and I don't know if I wanna be stuck, y'know?"

He nods. "Should I write it down?"

"I guess."

"Madison?"

"Um, no, definitely not. Madison, Addison—way too confusin'.

"Megan?" Now he's just throwing out names, hoping she'll like something.

"Maybe."

He's clearly getting frustrated. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Do you want to stop?"

"Coop, I already said I'm not commitin' to anythin' yet and that we're just listin' names right now. We'll narrow 'em down later."

He nods. "Ok." He pauses and looks back down at the book. He flips a couple pages. "Peyton?"

She sighs. "No."

He keeps searching, going back and forth through the alphabet.

She falls asleep shortly after Cooper finishes going through the B names. Her exhaustion took over and she just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.

He closes the book and sets it in the drawer with the list of names. He kisses the top of Charlotte's head and drapes a blanket over her. He smiles. "Goodnight, sweetie," he whispers and turns off the light. He gets out of bed and goes into the bathroom. He comes out and crawls back into bed. He rolls onto his side and yawns as he closes his eyes. He goes through the incomplete list of names in his head before falling asleep.

* * *

_**A/N:** As far as the whole Mason thing goes, I'm basing his character off what we saw on the show. He spent a lot of time with Charlotte and Cooper, and he seemed to enjoy that. I realize he spends an awful lot of time with them in this story, but again, I was basing his character on how he was on the show. Him being mature for his age had little to do with why he is the way he is in this story. Also, I didn't know Charlotte and Cooper were telling him all their business, other than telling him about the issues with the baby, but I feel like he should know about that, considering this is his sister, and he should be prepared for when she's born. All that being said, I'll try and keep the sharing to a minimum and have him spend more time with his friends or doing more kid-like things. _

_Although I'm not a parent, I was a young kid once. Every kid acts differently, no matter his/her age. Some kids really do want to spend time with their parents, especially if the parents are willing to play videogames with them/watch a movie, ect. Also, if the parents are working all day, that's also another reason why kids may want to spend time with them at night. I'm not an expert, that's just my opinion. But Mason did spend most of the summer at camp, so he wasn't just hanging out with Charlotte and Cooper. Maybe it wasn't clear, so I'll try and make it clearer next time._

_And it's alright if you don't like the story or an aspect of the story, but ranting about what's wrong with it isn't really going to help me make it any better. Suggestions are a lot more helpful._

_That was a long response, but I hope that clears some things up and I hope you continue reading :)_

**_Review! _**


	37. Chapter 37

Charlotte's sitting at her desk on Saturday, tapping her pencil, reading a patient chart. She opens her top drawer and grabs a granola bar from her snack stash. She can hardly concentrate with the grumbling noises coming from her stomach. She skipped breakfast this morning and hasn't had time for a lunch break, so now that it's close to 2:30 PM, she's starting to regret her decision to forego Cooper's waffles. Despite eating a granola bar, her stomach still growls. She sighs and stands up. "Looks like it's time for a break," she says, walking towards the door. She opens it and heads to the kitchen.

Addison's sitting at the counter, eating a salad. She looks up and smiles. "Hey."

Charlotte smiles back and pulls open the fridge. "Hey." She sees Cooper's leftover Chinese food and normally, it would gross her out, but today, it's the only thing in the refrigerator that she feels like eating. She grabs the paper container and dumps the noodles and chicken onto a plate. She covers it and pops it into the microwave. She leans against the counter and looks at Addison. "You're in a good mood today." She follows Addison's eyes and raises an eyebrow. "Oh, I see." She pauses. "When did you and he become a thing?" She clears her throat. "Addison?" She gets silence again. "Montgomery."

Addison turns her head and looks back down at her salad. "Huh?"

"He seems like he'd be good in bed. Is he?"

"Charlotte!"

"What? Just 'cause I'm married doesn't mean I can't ask."

"Um, actually, that's exactly what it means."

"I don't need details. Just a simple yes or no will suffice."

"Yes, he's good. He's amazing in bed."

Charlotte raises her eyebrows a few times and sucks her bottom lip. "So is it just sex or are you two datin'?" She pulls her plate out of the microwave and takes a fork out of the drawer. She opens the fridge again and grabs a water bottle.

Addison's eyes wander back to the hallway.

Charlotte laughs and leans against the counter again, eating her lunch.

Addison blinks and looks at Charlotte. "This is our little secret."

Charlotte stops mid-chew and looks at the redheaded doctor. "No one knows you and Jake are together?"

Addison shakes her head. "No, and I'd like to keep it that way for a while."

"How long have you been sleepin' with him?"

"A month." Addison pauses. "Now shhh."

Charlotte laughs. "No one can keep a secret better than me. Well, except maybe Sheldon." She sets her plate on the counter and takes a sip of her iced tea.

Amelia walks into the kitchen just as the conversation lulls. She glances between Charlotte and Addison, and opens the refrigerator. "Were you two talking about me?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "No, we were actually talkin' 'bout Addison."

"We were," Addison agrees.

Amelia's still suspicious. The second she walks into the kitchen, both of her colleagues look at her and stop talking. She takes that to mean that she was the subject of their conversation. Anyone would. Plus, everyone seems to still be treading lightly around her. It wouldn't surprise her if Charlotte and Addison were in fact talking about her.

Addison stands up and puts her Tupperware container back into the refrigerator. "I have a patient." She grabs her phone and leaves the kitchen.

Charlotte looks at Amelia, watching her sit at the island in Addison's place and open her soda can.

Amelia takes a sip of her Sprite. "I don't care what you or Addison says. Ryan actually loved me. High or sober, he loved me."

Charlotte nods. "You knew him better than I did, so maybe you're right. I just stated my opinion. I might not have the authority to know for sure whether you two would have made it, but I'm allowed to tell you my opinion. It was the wrong time, but I can't take back what I said." She pauses. "You need to move forward, Amelia, not go backwards. I'm not tellin' you to forget about Ryan, but you can't keep focusin' on what could have happened. Bein' too hung up on the past won't help you. I would know."

Amelia drinks half her soda and stares at the blonde.

Charlotte sighs and washes off her plate, setting it in the drying rack. "I was goin' to swing by a meetin' after work, do you wanna join me?"

Amelia nods. "Ok."

Charlotte smiles and walks over to her friend. She rests her hand on Amelia's shoulder and squeezes. "Does this mean we're friends again?"

Amelia lets out a breath and turns her head, looking up at Charlotte. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry I said what I said. I didn't mean to sound insensitive." Charlotte tosses her iced tea bottle and walks towards the door. "Come find me when you're done for the day."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being honest with me." Amelia pauses. "Everyone is watching what they say around me, and it's frustrating sometimes. What you said upset me, but I'm glad at least one person has balls in this office."

Charlotte laughs. "My intention wasn't to upset you. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I was tryin' to be helpful. It kinda backfired on me, though." She smiles and walks out of the kitchen, going right into her office.

Amelia sips her soda slowly and stares at the fruit bowl, trying not to think about Ryan or the baby or what could have been.

* * *

Charlotte pulls into her driveway just as her phone beeps in her purse. She puts the car in park and shuts off the engine. She pulls out her phone and reads the message. She laughs and gets out of the car, walking towards the front door. She pulls out her keys and opens the door, stepping into the entryway. "Cooper, I'm home. You can call off the police dogs." She sets her stuff down and pads into the kitchen.

The outside doors open and Cooper walks in. He smiles. "I just texted you. I was worried."

"I got it just as I pulled into the driveway. Our timing is impeccable." She pauses. "I went to a meetin' with Amelia and then we got milkshakes afterwards. I'm fine." She looks around. "This place is awfully quiet."

"That's because Mason's at Logan's house. He's sleeping over there."

"So we have the place to ourselves? Is that what you're sayin'?"

He gives her a kiss hello and walks over to the refrigerator. "You know how long it's been since we've had a house to ourselves?"

"Too long." She pauses. "We need to take advantage of that." She smirks and grabs the iced tea from him. She pours herself a glass and chugs it.

He laughs. "Thirsty?"

"Mmhmm." She swallows and hands him back the pitcher. She looks at him, one of her eyebrows arched and her lips curved upwards into a devilish smile. She walks over to him and kicks off her heels. She stands on her tippy-toes and presses her lips against his, her hands framing his face.

He lowers his head and rests his hands on her hips, pulling her closer so that the roundest part of her belly is touching his sweater. He leans into the kiss and blinks his eyes shut. He pushes her into the counter and pulls her blouse out from her pants. He hastily unbuttons her shirt and slides his hands slips against her skin. He brushes his palm against her bra and unclasps it. He deepens his kisses as his hands continue to caress her.

She swallows and separates from him, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She looks at him. "Let's take this party up to the bedroom. I don't feel comfortable havin' sex in a room where our son eats." She walks out of the kitchen and walks up a couple steps. "You comin', Coop?"

He nods and follows her. At the top of the stairs, he stops her and leans in close to her. His breath brushes against her ear as he whispers, "We don't have to worry about being quiet tonight."

She nods. "No, sir, we can be as loud as we want. We can take our time and we can leave the door unlocked too" She smirks and continues down the hallway to their bedroom. They disappear inside and she turns around to face him. "We can even leave the door open." She laughs.

He kicks the door closed. "Shutting the door sets the mood, but we can leave it unlocked," he says, guiding her to the bed.

* * *

Charlotte's lying on her back on the bed, propped up on the pillows. She hums as Cooper slowly runs his hand across her lower abdomen. She turns her head and smiles. She pushes her sweaty hair out of her face and swallows.

Cooper tilts his head and looks at her, a matching smile on his face. He blinks and slides his hand upwards. "That was—." He swallows and collapses on the mattress, keeping his eyes on her.

Her eyes flicker and she rolls onto her side, a more comfortable position. She slides her hand up his arm and mindlessly pulls at his chest air. She leans over and kisses him on the lips. She scoots closer to him and then rolls over so her back is flush against him.

He drapes his arms over her naked frame and yanks at the sheets, pulling them over both of them. He kisses the back of her head and runs his hand up and down her stomach. He moves his head slightly and nibbles on her ear as he whispers, "That was amazing."

She nods, agreeing with him. "Mmhmm," she mumbles. She's exhausted, but oh so satisfied. She separates from him and gets out of bed. She disappears into the bathroom and shuts the door.

He shifts on the mattress and wipes the sweat from his face.

She walks out and sits on the edge of the bed. She yawns and gets back into position, pressed up against her husband.

"Everything ok?"

She nods. "Everythin's fine, Coop."

"You wanna do it again?"

"I don't think I have it in me. Sorry."

He shakes his head. "It's ok. You're 28 weeks pregnant, so I should have expected you'd be too exhausted to do more than one round." He wraps his arms around her again and buries his face in her hair.

"I want to, but I just know I won't make it."

"How was your day?"

She shrugs. "I hate workin' on the weekends, but I'm glad Amelia and I are friends again. It seems like we break up and get back together every week these days."

He laughs.

"What'd you do all day?"

"Mason and I spent the day at the beach and then I dropped him off at Logan's."

"Did you have fun?"

"I had fun, and he had a blast too." He pauses. "Mason called me a wimp 'cause it took me about twenty minutes to get into the water."

She laughs.

"We missed you, though. We're dragging you with us next time."

"I'd like to see you try." She closes her eyes and blows out a puff of air.

"Did you eat dinner?"

She shakes her head. "No, so wake me up in an hour if I'm not up by then."

"Ok." He presses a kiss to her bare shoulder and strokes her arm gently as she falls asleep. He smiles and rolls onto his back. He turns on the TV and lowers the volume significantly. He flips through the channels and glances at his wife. "I love you," he whispers and focuses on the TV.

* * *

_Please Review! _


	38. Chapter 38

Charlotte's sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery watching her husband and son attempt to put the crib together.

Cooper glances at the picture on the instruction pamphlet and nods. "Oh, so this part goes here. Got it," he mumbles.

"I want to remind you that our daughter is goin' to be sleepin' in that crib."

Cooper nods. "I know what I'm doing. I'm following the picture. This crib will be sturdy enough for you to sleep in."

Charlotte looks at Mason. "Go get ready for bed, honey."

"But momma."

"It's a school night, Mason. I don't want to hear it."

Mason grunts and stands up. He walks out of the nursery and into his room.

"Are you sure you're puttin' that thing together correctly?"

Cooper nods. "Don't worry, Char. Blue will be safe and sound when she's laying in her crib. I promise."

She nods. "I'm just sayin' it wouldn't hurt for you to read the instructions."

"Would you feel less paranoid if I did?"

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not bein' paranoid. I'm tryin' to ensure that your ego isn't gettin' in the way of Blue's safety."

"Fine. If it'll make you feel better, I'll read the instructions."

She smiles. "Thank you." She pushes herself out of the rocking chair and groans. She rubs her belly and walks towards the door. "I'm hungry. You want somethin'?"

He shakes his head. "I'm good."

"Suit yourself." She disappears into the hallway and downstairs.

* * *

Cooper wakes up in the middle of the night after hearing loud noises coming from the hallway. He rolls onto his side and rubs his face as he opens his eyes. He expects Charlotte to be lying beside him, but her side of the bed is empty and cold to the touch. He swallows and tears the sheets off. He sits up slowly and glances at the clock. It's three in the morning. 1000 things are running through his head. He stands up and stumbles a little. He sleepily pulls on some sweatpants and walks out of the room. He follows the noises and pushes open the nursery door. He blinks. "What?" He pauses. "Charlotte, what the hell are you doing? It's 3 AM."

Charlotte turns her head and swallows. "Did I wake you up?"

"I'm pretty sure you woke up the entire West Coast. What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doin'? I'm takin' the crib apart."

"I see that, but why?"

She sighs. "I had a dream. We brought Blue home from the hospital and when I put her in the crib, the whole thing collapsed on her."

"Charlotte, you watched me put the crib together, you even saw me follow the instructions. The crib is safe." He walks over to her and tightens the screws she had loosened. He fixes a few of the wood slats and then kisses the top of her head. "Relax, sweetie."

She lets out a breath and stands up. "That dream was just so real."

He hugs her, maneuvering around her swollen belly. He steps back and lifts her chin. He lowers his head and presses his lips against hers, all in an attempt to relax her. He breaks the kiss and yawns. "Come back to bed."

"I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm hungry and in the mood for some pretzels with peanut butter."

He laughs. "It's three in the morning."

She glares at him. "I don't give a crap what time it is, Coop. I'm awake and I'm hungry."

He nods. He knows it's smart not to say anything else about her early-morning appetite. "I'll probably be asleep when you come back to bed." He leans in and kisses her on the cheek.

She nods, tilting her head slightly. "Did I wake Mason up?"

He shakes his head. "If he's not in here, he's still asleep."

"Good."

"Are you ok?"

She nods. "Just a little anxious, I guess." She pauses. "I'll be in the bedroom in a few minutes." She smiles and leaves the nursery, heading down into the kitchen.

* * *

A couple days later, Charlotte walks into the front door of the house and smiles at Mason, who's sitting on the couch, looking at his math textbook. "Late start on homework, Mase?"

Mason turns his head and nods. "Are you mad?"

She shakes her head. "Just focus." She pauses. "Do you need any help?"

"I've got it, momma. I'm almost done."

"Well, keep workin' and if you've got any questions, come to me, not your daddy. He sucks at that kinda stuff."

"Hey!" Cooper walks down the steps and gives Charlotte a soft kiss on the cheek.

She laughs. "I'm only kiddin'."

"Sure." Cooper pauses. "How was your doctor's appointment?"

She glances at Mason and then walks into the kitchen.

Cooper follows her, getting her subtle hint. "Is it bad?"

She shakes her head. "The appointment was fine. I just wanted to tell you in private."

"Oh, ok. You scared me."

"Sorry. That wasn't my intention." She pauses. "Addison says that the baby's still small, but her heartbeat's strong. She's doin' fine."

He smiles.

She pulled out a picture from her purse and handed it to him.

He looks down at the photo and smiles. "She has your nose and mouth." He pauses. "So the appointment went well?"

She nods. "Addison just told me that if I don't go into labor by 37 weeks, she'll induce me as long as the baby's lungs are mature enough."

"You do realize that that's less than two months away. Blue's gonna be here in six weeks at the latest. Isn't that crazy?"

She nods.

Mason walks into the kitchen. "Is something wrong with the baby?" His parents wanted to talk privately in the kitchen, which can only mean one thing in his head—something's wrong.

She shakes her head. "Your baby sister's just fine, sweetie. I promise." She pauses. "You finish your homework?"

"Nope. I came in here for a snack."

She runs her fingers through Mason's hair as he passes her. "Get your snack and go finish your homework. No more breaks, got it?"

Mason nods. "Yes, momma." He grabs a handful of pretzels and walks back into the living room.

She watches him leave the kitchen and once he's on the couch, she slaps Cooper. "His homework is usually done by now. What were you two doin' all afternoon?"

"Ow." Cooper pauses. "He stayed after school for a self defense class. He asked if he could stay and I couldn't say no. We just got home a half hour ago. I made him sit down and do his homework as soon as we were done with dinner."

She sighs. "Sorry."

"It's always my fault, right?"

"I said, sorry. I just assumed you two were foolin' around. It's not that unfair of an assumption, Coop."

"Whatever." He pauses. "Did you eat dinner?"

She nods. "I grabbed somethin' at the hospital after my appointment."

"You look tired."

"I am and my back and feet are killin' me."

"Momma?"

She turns around. "What is it, Mase?"

"I need help."

"Ok." She heads into the living room and sits on the couch beside her son to help him crank out the rest of his homework.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte's standing at the bathroom counter, brushing her teeth. She sees Cooper walk up behind her and feels his hands rest on her shoulders. She sighs, his thumbs digging into her sore muscles. "Hmmm."

Cooper pushes her hair to the side and lightly brushes his lips against her neck. His hand slides under her shirt and rests on the side of her stomach. He feels a small flutter, which brings a huge smile to his face. "She's awake."

Charlotte spits out her toothpaste and gurgles with some water. She turns her head and nods. "I'm exhausted, so I hope she calms down a little." She wipes her mouth and walks into the bedroom. "So I think I narrowed it down to three names."

He comes into the bedroom and crawls into bed. He raises an eyebrow and looks at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Jordyn, Jocelyn, and Madelyn."

"I thought you didn't like Madelyn."

She shrugs. "It's growin' on me." She rolls onto her side and shuts her eyes.

He massages her lower back as he lies there beside her. "That the spot?"

"To the left and up a little."

He moves his hand and adds pressure. "Better?"

She lets out a breath and nods slowly. "Mmhmm."

He presses a kiss to her shoulder and smiles. "Goodnight."

"Don't stop," she slurs.

"I'm not."

"Goodnight, Coop." She's exhausted, and even with him massaging her, it takes her a while to fall asleep. She's got a lot on her mind, the baby's moving around, and the 31 week pregnant belly under her shirt isn't helping much either.

* * *

_Please Review! _


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Note**_**:** Please disregard the last chapter 39. _

* * *

Five and a half weeks later, Charlotte's in the grocery store on a Sunday morning, checking out the green peppers. She drops the pepper and grabs her stomach. "Ah." She gasps, wrapping her hand around her shopping cart to keep upright. She lets out a breath and continues shopping. She can feel everyone's eyes digging into her as she puts some green peppers into a plastic bag. She has a snarky comment on the tip of her tongue, but she's interrupted by another crippling cramp. She clutches the shopping cart and takes in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Are you alright?"

The woman's voice sounds like a soft mumble to Charlotte as she takes in another breath. She turns her head and looks at the woman standing behind her. She nods. "I'm fine." She sets her peppers in the cart and walks towards the green beans.

Mason runs over to her with a carton of strawberry ice cream and a box of fruit roll-ups in his hands. He puts them in the cart and looks at her. "I wanna push the cart, momma."

She nods and lets go. "Don't run into anyone." She grabs a handful of green beans and places them in a plastic bag. As soon as she puts the bag in the cart, another cramp washes over her. She swallows and grits her teeth, trying not to show she's in pain.

"Momma?"

She straightens out and runs her fingers through his hair.

"What's wrong?"

She gives him a kiss on the top of his head and pulls her cell phone out of her purse. She dials her home phone number and listens to the rings. She leans against the cart slightly as Cooper's voice echoes through the phone. "Coop, I need you to meet me at the hospital." She nods. "Mmhmm." She lets out a breath. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Call Addison." She hangs up the phone and slips it back into her purse. "Leave the cart, Mason, and come on."

"Is it time?"

She offers him a small smile. On the outside, she's calm and collected, but inside, she's terrified. "We're meetin' your daddy at the hospital."

"It's really time?"

"Mason, I'm not playin' games here, let's go."

He nods and follows her out of the grocery store. He hops into the back seat and buckles himself in. He turns his head and sees the infant seat strapped in. He leans back and closes his eyes. He fidgets as Charlotte drives to the hospital. Suddenly, he jerks forward when the car comes to an abrupt stop, and he opens his eyes. He looks at Charlotte and his eyes widen. "Momma?" He looks around and takes out his cell phone, the one his father gave him in case of an emergency. He dials quickly, his fingers punching the keys two at a time, and presses the phone to his ear. He gets no answer so he dials 9-1-1.

Charlotte lifts her head off the window and opens her eyes. She groans as she tries to take in a deep breath. She looks back at Mason. "Mase, sweetie, are you ok?"

Mason nods, hanging up the phone. "I'm fine, momma." He unbuckles his seatbelt and scoots closer to the edge of the seat. "What happened?"

She shrugs. She doesn't remember. She feels tears well up in the corners of her eyes, so she shuts them. She doesn't want to scare Mason, though she knows he's already pretty freaked out.

"An ambulance is coming soon. I called dad, but he's not answering."

"Try. Him. Again." Her breathing's slow and choppy and her chest is on fire. As a contraction surges through her body, she's painfully reminded that she's pregnant and in labor. She rests her hand on her stomach as tears course down her cheeks. "Please, move. Give momma somethin', anythin'," she whispers and sighs out a relief when she feels a small flutter. "Thank you, baby girl."

"Momma, are you ok?"

She nods. "I'm. Fine. Sweetie. Lean. Back."

He scoots back and leans against the seat. He hears sirens in the background and then a couple minutes later, sees the reflection of the blue and red flashing lights in the rear-view mirror. The right side passenger door opens and an EMT is standing there, his hand outstretched.

"Are you ok?"

Mason nods. "Help my momma. She's pregnant and I think she's hurt badly."

The EMT secures Mason's neck and helps him out of the car. He gets him on a stretcher and straps him in. He takes him to the ambulance and loads him in.

"Did you get my momma?"

"Don't worry. My friends are taking good care of her." The EMT pauses. "My name's Matt. What's yours?"

"Uh, Mason."

"Does anything hurt?"

"No."

"Sit back and we'll be at the hospital soon." The ambulance doors close and then they're moving, getting back onto the road and heading to the hospital.

Charlotte's loaded into the other ambulance and taken to the hospital a few minutes later.


	40. Chapter 40

Cooper's sitting outside the ER, on a bench, waiting for Charlotte. He's tapping his foot and his hands are shaking. He looks up and sees Addison walking towards him.

Addison tilts her sunglasses up and raises an eyebrow. "Are you waiting for the ambulance?"

Cooper hits himself. "Damn it. I knew I forgot something." He pauses. "Charlotte just called. She's on her way to the hospital. She's having contractions. Are you busy?"

"I just got an emergency call about a pregnant car crash victim." Addison pauses. "I'll have a nurse get Charlotte set up in a room and after I—." She's interrupted by the screaming sounds of an ambulance siren.

Cooper turns his head as an EMT unloads a stretcher. He does a double take when it passes him. He blinks and stands up. He follows the stretcher and swallows. "Mason," he says with a gasp. He brushes his son's hair to the side and kisses him on the top of his head. _Wait. _His head whips towards the ambulance bay when he hears another siren. He looks back at his son. "Are you ok, Mase?"

Mason jerks his shoulders. "Dad, is momma ok?" Tears well up in his eyes and he looks around. "Where is she?"

"She's coming," Cooper guesses and squeezes Mason's hand just before he's taken behind a curtain.

Another ambulance stops in front of the ER entrance and a second stretcher is unloaded.

"You're all a bunch of idiots. I'm fine."

Cooper lets out a soft chuckle as he hears his wife's insult. He's relieved that she's alive and being her usual self. He pushes one of the EMTs out of the way and brushes his thumb against her bruised temple, a couple tears rolling down his cheeks. "Charlotte."

"Where's Mason?"

"He's being examined right now. Are you ok?"

Charlotte nods. "Mmhmm." She takes in a shaky breath and leans back against the stretcher. She closes her eyes and rubs the side of her belly.

Cooper gives her a kiss on the top of her head and follows the EMTs as they push the stretcher behind a trauma bay curtain. He watches as she's transferred onto the bed and hooked up to different monitors.

"Ow. Watch it."

Cooper swallows.

Addison checks the position of the baby and then squeezes some gel onto Charlotte's stomach. She turns her focus to the ultrasound monitor as she moves the Doppler to the side.

A suction-thumping sound echoes and relief washes over Cooper's face.

Charlotte groans and holds her stomach. "Ow!"

"Sorry, Dr. King." The ER physician finishes the initial exam and steps back.

Amelia walks behind the counter. "I was pag—oh, Charlotte."

Charlotte takes off her oxygen mask and swallows. "I have a concussion. That's all."

The doctor looks at Amelia. "She lost consciousness and vomited twice in the ambulance."

Amelia steps forward and looks down at her friend. Her hand starts to shake as she reaches for her penlight. She takes a deep breath and shines the light across Charlotte's eyes. "Follow my finger." She moves her finger from side to side and up and down. She nods. "She'll need a CT scan to rule out a bleed."

Addison lifts her head. "You're four centimeters dilated, Charlotte, and the baby's stable. I'll perform a C-section once all your other tests are completed."

"A C-section?"

Addison nods. "A C-section is the safest and only option given your injuries and the position of the baby."

Charlotte nods.

Mason appears from behind the curtain. "Momma?"

Charlotte smiles. "Come here, sweetie."

Mason slowly walks over to her and gives her a hug.

Charlotte winces, letting out a soft groan.

Mason backs off. "Sorry."

"It's ok, Mase. I'm ok." Charlotte messes up his hair. "Are you ok?"

"Uh-huh."

Cooper drapes his arms over his son's shoulders and bends over, kissing the top of his head. He runs his fingers through Mason's hair and sighs. "How're you feeling?" He asks after Charlotte's taken up to radiology.

Mason tilts his head. "Is momma gonna be ok?"

Cooper nods. "I hope so." He pauses. "You want some ice cream?"

Mason shakes his head. "No."

"She's ok, Mase," Cooper says, realizing that if his son is passing up ice cream, he must be scared. He walks behind the curtain, has a quick chat with the doctor who examined his son, and then goes to the nurses' station to check-in and fill out any necessary paperwork.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Cooper's still sitting in the ER, his hand shaking as he tries to fill out the forms. His breathing is quick and uneven, and he's tapping his foot on the tile. He's staring at the words, but not reading them. He catches a glimpse of black pumps right in front of him, so he looks up.

Addison smiles. "Time to suit up, Cooper."

He lets out a breath and stands up. He quickly signs the sheets of paper and hands them back to the nurse. "Is Charlotte ok?"

Addison shrugs. "We're still waiting for the results of her films, but Amelia said her CT scan was clean. It's just a mild concussion."

"Thank God." He follows Addison and before he knows it, he's standing in front of the operating room doors, Addison disappearing behind them. He gets dressed and paces back and forth, mumbling to himself, as he tries to wait patiently for the go-ahead to enter the room. After a few minutes, he takes a deep breath and follows a nurse through the OR doors. He smiles and walks over to Charlotte, sitting down on the stool. He gives her a quick kiss on the lips and brushes her tears away from her cheeks. "Just relax."

Charlotte blinks and nods.

"Count backwards from ten," the anesthesiologist says as he places the face mask over her nose and mouth. "Deep breaths."

"Ten, nine, eight, sev—."

Cooper closes his eyes for a second and takes his wife's hand.

Addison looks over the curtain after prepping Charlotte's belly. "Ready?"

He glances at Charlotte and then looks at Addison. "I'm ready."

Addison takes the scalpel from the scrub nurse and makes the cut across Charlotte's lower abdomen. She carefully pulls the baby out and suctions out her nose and mouth.

A faint cry escapes from the newborn and Cooper's eyes overflow with tears. He squeezes Charlotte's hand and presses a kiss to her bruised cheek. "Blue's here, sweetie." He wishes she could be awake for this. He gives her another kiss and drops her hand. "How is she, Addison?"

After the newborn is weighed and cleaned off, Addison sets her in the isolette and bags the organs to protect them until the surgery. "I'm bringing her to the NICU. You can come with me or stay with Charlotte. It's your choice."

He looks at Charlotte and skims his thumb across her cheek. "Forgive me," he whispers and follows Addison out of the room.

* * *

Cooper's standing over his daughter's incubator in the NICU, one hand pressed against the clear wall, the other one holding the newborn's hand. He watches her struggle for breath, making soft squeaking noises each time she inhales. "Hi, sweetie."

The newborn opens her eyes for a split second and then closes them again. She stretches and yawns, curling her hand around her father's index finger.

Addison walks up to him. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

He turns his head. "Bad news."

"Charlotte has two broken ribs and a small crack in her pelvis on top of the concussion I mentioned earlier."

"And the good news?"

"She'll make a full recovery. She doesn't require any kind of surgery as of right now."

He nods. "Is she still asleep?"

"I'm about to go check on her."

"Ok."

"And Violet wanted me to tell you that Mason's taking a nap in an empty hospital room."

He nods. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She pauses. "It's been a crazy day and it's barely 1:30."

"You can say that again." He turns his head, looking at his daughter again.

Addison steps closer to the incubator and smiles. "She's beautiful."

He nods. "She's strong, just like her mother."

"Congratulations. There's no better feeling in the world." She looks down at her pager and sighs. "I have to respond to this page and then I'll go check on Charlotte." She pauses. "And your daughter's surgery is scheduled for Saturday."

"Do you think she'll need more than one?"

"I can't answer that right now. It really depends on how the surgery on Saturday goes."

He sighs. "I guess I don't have a choice but to accept that answer."

She's paged a second time, so she starts walking towards the exit. "Congratulations again," she says, leaving the NICU and heading for the elevator.

He looks back at the newborn and just stares at her. He can remember the sheer joy that washed over him when Charlotte called him earlier to let him know that she was in labor, and the panic that set in when he discovered she and Mason had been in an accident, but none of that matters right now because his wife, son, and daughter are all ok for the most part.


	41. Chapter 41

It's been a couple days since the accident and Charlotte's hardly said a word to anyone. She's been lying perfectly still on her back in her hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling, sometimes turning her head and staring out the window.

Cooper walks into the room and throws Mason his backpack. "Come on, Mase."

Mason slips off the cot. "I have to pee."

"Well, hurry up."

Mason disappears into the bathroom and locks the door.

"Char?"

Charlotte blinks and looks at her husband. "Hmm."

"You ok?"

She nods. "I'm fine."

Cooper sighs. That's been her go-to response for the past two days. He's worried about her, but at least she's not talking in clichés. He glances at his watch and walks over to the bathroom door. He knocks. "Mason?" He hears the toilet flush and then hears the sink turn on.

The door opens a couple minutes later, and Mason walks out. He grabs his backpack and looks at his dad. "I'm thirsty."

"We'll stop at the coffee shop on the way to school and you can get that iced tea you like."

Mason adjusts his backpack and tightens the straps. "I'm hungry too."

"Well, you can get a bagel too. Come on."

"Um, I have to go to the bathroom."

"You just went."

"Well, I have to go again." Mason goes back into the bathroom.

Cooper looks at his watch and sits on the edge of the cot, looking at Charlotte. "You want me to bring you back something from the coffee shop?"

"No, thank you." Her voice is soft, barely audible.

"How's the pain?"

"It's fine. I'm fine. Everythin' is fine," she says, clearly irritated.

Cooper walks over to the bathroom door and knocks. "Come on, Mason."

Mason comes out a minute later after splashing water on his face. "I don't feel good."

Cooper presses the back of his hand to his son's forehead. "You're not warm." He pauses. "I'll take you to school. If you don't feel well in the middle of the day, go to the nurse, and I'll come pick you up." He looks at Charlotte. "You sure you don't want anything from the coffee shop?"

She nods. "I said I didn't want anythin'."

"Just double checking." Cooper messes up Mason's hair and smiles. "Let's get you to school."

Mason sighs. "Bye, momma."

"Bye." She closes her eyes and lets out a breath.

Mason looks up at his dad. "Is momma ok?"

Cooper looks back at his wife and sighs. "I don't know." He bends over and gives him a kiss on the top of his head. He drapes his arm around his son's shoulders and they walk out of the room.

* * *

Cooper gets in the driver's seat of his car and buckles himself in. He starts the engine and washes his windshield while he waits for Mason to get settled in the back.

Mason stands outside the car, his hand clutching the door handle. His breathing is fast, his legs are shaking, and his heart's beating erratically.

Cooper honks the horn. "Mason, let's go."

Mason jumps and opens the car door. He doesn't move, though. He just stares into the backseat and swallows.

Cooper turns his head. "Mason?" He unbuckles his seatbelt, turns the keys, and gets out. He walks around the car and over to his son. He rests his hand on his shoulder and squeezes. "Everything ok, Mase?"

Mason nods and slowly gets in the car. He buckles himself in and closes his eyes.

Cooper shuts the door and hops into the driver's seat. He looks in the rearview mirror, looking at his son, and sighs. He starts the car again and starts to pull out of the parking spot.

Mason's eyes pop open and he unbuckles his seatbelt. He reaches for the door handle, his breathing quick and all over the place.

Cooper creeps back into the parking spot and shuts off the engine. He gets out of the car and walks over to Mason's side. He opens the door and rests his hand on his son's chest. "Breathe, Mason. Just breathe." He reaches over and unbuckles the seatbelt. "Hop out."

Mason stays still for a few minutes and takes in a few deep breaths. He finally gets out of the car, adjusting his backpack.

"You can stay with momma and I'll go get some breakfast and talk to your teachers about getting your work." Cooper rubs Mason's shoulder and they walk back into the hospital. They'll tackle the car another day.

* * *

_Review :)_


	42. Chapter 42

Cooper's standing at the nurses' station outside Charlotte's room, his hands wrapped around a cup of coffee, sipping it slowly and breathing in the bitter-vanilla aroma. He turns his head and sighs, as Violet walks up to him. "I need your help."

"I'm listening," Violet says, leaning against the counter.

"Something's wrong with Charlotte. She's hardly speaking. She keeps saying she's fine, but I know my wife, she's not fine. When Charlotte's quiet, that almost always means that she has something on her mind that she's not saying. I don't know what do."

"Did you try talking to her?"

He rolls his eyes. "I try. She just gets annoyed and shuts me out."

"Try rephrasing the question or try getting her to tell you what's wrong without actually asking her what's wrong or just let her breathe for a little while. She'll come to you when she's ready."

"You do realize we're talking about Charlotte?" He pauses. "Charlotte's not my only problem. Is it normal for a kid to be scared to ride in a car?"

"After an accident, yes, of course it's normal. A car accident for anyone is traumatic. For a kid, there's no telling what it could do. In Mason's case, he's been in two accidents in a relatively short amount of time, so it doesn't surprise me that he's afraid to get in a car."

"That's all good information, but what can I do about it?"

"Take it slow, hire a good psychiatrist, be patient, have him watch you drive around the block so he sees that cars aren't as scary as he thinks they are."

"So basically, there's nothing I can do to snap him out of it?"

"Cooper."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"If you need me to recommend someone, I will."

"It could be a phase, right? Maybe he'll be fine tomorrow or the next day?"

"Anything is possible."

"Thanks." He pauses. "I'm gonna go talk to Charlotte." He smiles and heads back into Charlotte's hospital room.

* * *

Cooper sits in the chair by Charlotte's bedside. "I thought you were sleeping."

Charlotte shakes her head. "No."

He lets out a breath. _Here goes nothing. _"Are you ok? And I don't want a bullshit answer either, Charlotte. You're not fine. Just tell me what's wrong."

She cringes slightly, surprised by the sharpness in his voice.

His face softens. "Please."

She takes in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and adjusts herself on the mattress, wincing with each subtle movement. "I'm just waitin' for you to yell."

"What?"

"I almost killed our son and our daughter, so I just assumed that you would have some choice words for me."

"This wasn't your fault."

"I should have called for an ambulance."

"Did you hear me? I said that it wasn't your fault. I talked to the cops, the ones who've been swarming around your room waiting for your side of the story, and one of them said that you were rear-ended. You didn't cause the accident, Char."

"I didn't?"

"No. It was a hit and run." He pauses. "I think I know what'll cheer you up." He smiles and pulls out his cell phone. He brings up his photo album and hands it to her.

She holds the phone and stares at the picture. "She has your ears—God bless her."

"Hey, my ears aren't that bad." He sits in the chair and brushes his hand up and down her leg over the sheet. "She's definitely a Madelyn, I think."

She nods. "Mmhmm." She pauses. "How is she?"

"She's perfect, well, almost perfect."

"I need to see her."

"Charlotte, that's not a good idea."

"And why the hell not?"

"Do I need to tell you?"

She sighs. "I need to see her, Coop."

He gives her a kiss on her temple. "Maybe tomorrow. You need to rest." He takes the phone back and pulls up his videos. He presses play and hands the phone to her again. "She does this fish thing with her lips. It's cute."

She looks down at the phone and brings it closer to her face. "Did she cry?"

"When?"

"After Addison yanked her from my uterus, did she cry?"

"That's a nice image, Char, and she wasn't yanked, she was carefully pulled out."

"Just answer my question."

He nods. "She cried. I really wished you could have been awake. It was magical."

"Is it weird that I feel like she's not mine?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was pregnant and she looks like me, but because I wasn't awake and I didn't push her out, it doesn't feel like she belongs to me." She pauses. "My vagina's probably grateful, but will it ever feel like she's mine?"

"Of course. Once you get to see her in person, hold her little hand, talk to her, and hold her in your arms, it won't matter how she got here. She's yours and you'll believe it."

"Has Mason been up to see her?"

"Not yet. I was gonna take him today after he finishes his homework." He pauses. "Do you feel better?"

"A little. I just keep thinkin' that if I had called 9-1-1, we wouldn't have gotten into that accident and then Mason wouldn't be scared to death of gettin' in a car, I'd have had a natural birth, and we'd be one step closer to happily ever after."

"You know this is real life and not a fairytale, don't you?"

She laughs, soon regretting it. "Wouldn't that be nice?" She mutters.

There's a knock on the door and Amelia walks in. "Did I interrupt something?"

"It's fine."

Cooper stands up and walks over to the door. "I'm gonna go find Mason on pediatrics." He leaves, sensing the two women would rather talk in private than in his presence.

* * *

Amelia sits down on the chair her colleague just left vacant. "I don't have donuts this time, sorry."

Charlotte smiles. "I'm not hungry."

"I'd bet that you're hardcore craving right now."

"And you'd be a very rich woman." Charlotte's strong, but to a point.

"This hardly compares to what you're probably feeling, but I had a patient yesterday that I saw when I was pregnant. She asked about the baby and how I was adjusting to motherhood. It took everything I had not to walk out or slap her. After work, I went home, poured myself a glass of that wine Jake gave us when he moved into the practice, and almost took a sip. I wanted to, but I didn't."

"Good for you." Charlotte pauses. "Did you go to a meetin'?"

Amelia twists her mouth and chuckles. "No."

"Amelia."

"I'll go. There's one tonight at the youth center."

"Wish I could go with ya." The conversation lulls and Charlotte looks up at the ceiling.

Amelia stands up and walks over to the door. "Hope you feel better soon." She smiles and leaves the room.

Charlotte sighs. She has a high pain threshold, that's what she tells herself anyway, but there's only so much pain a human being can take.

* * *

Cooper comes back with Mason by his side. "Go do your homework, bud."

Mason grabs his backpack and hops up on the cot. "Hi, momma."

Charlotte smiles. "Hi, sweetie. How're you feelin'?"

"Good. I'm a little sore still."

"I bet."

Cooper smiles. He's glad she's feeling more like herself now. He knows she'll feel a lot better once she can see the baby, but he'll have to settle for this until that's possible. He lifts up the covers and sits on the edge of his wife's bed. He carefully wraps his hands around her foot and presses his thumbs into her sole. He lifts his head, looking at her.

"Keep goin'."

"I'll be gentle. Let me know if it gets to be too much."

She nods and leans back against her pillows. She closes her eyes and lets out a breath. She's exhausted, her body aches something fierce, and no matter what Cooper says, she still feels responsible for what happened. She opens her eyes and watches him give her a foot rub.

Cooper kneads his knuckles into the ball of her foot and gives her a look.

"I'm fine," she says, interpreting his faint eyebrow raise.

There's that word again. He sighs.

"What do you want me to say, Coop? That I feel guilty for almost killing our kids? That I'm in pain and there's nothin' I can do about it? That I'm sick and tired of you askin' me if I'm ok? That I have no idea what's happenin' with our baby girl and it scares me to death? Is that what you wanna hear? There I said it. Now, please, just shut up." She lets out a sigh. "Please."

He glances at Mason and then back at Charlotte. "That's exactly what I wanna hear."

She closes her eyes and clutches the sheet between her clasped fists. She doesn't want to admit this, but she does feel lighter.

He doesn't say another word. He just continues to massage her feet, looking up at her periodically and keeping an eye on his son at the same time.

* * *

_I'll be wrapping this story up in four more chapters and then I might write a story set during season four where Charlotte and Cooper end up adopting Betsy and a few months later, Erica shows up with Mason. Basically, Betsy helps Mason cope with the loss of his mother in ways Charlotte and Cooper can't. _


	43. Chapter 43

Cooper's holding Charlotte's hand as they walk down the corroder on Saturday. He's got his other hand on the wall of Madelyn's incubator, cutting glances at his daughter while they head to the operating room. He knows that Addison and the whole surgical team know what they're doing and he knows they're good at their jobs, but behind those doors is the unknown. It's a simple procedure, a straightforward one, but anything can happen and being a doctor, he knows without a doubt that just about anything can happen, which scares him more than anything.

Charlotte stops walking when they reach the double doors leading into the OR hallway. She adjusts her crutch and turns her body slowly towards the incubator. She rests her hand on the clear wall and lets out a drawn out sigh.

Addison unfolds her scrub cap and looks between her colleagues. "This is as far as you two can go."

"I run this damn hospital, Montgomery. I think I know the rules," Charlotte snaps. "Just give me a minute." She brushes her hand against her daughter's soft cheek and smiles. "Don't you dare pull anythin' funny, ya hear me?" She pauses. "We love you, Blue." She steps back and shuts her eyes, not wanting to lose it in front of her staff, her husband, and her colleague. Tears pool behind her eyelids and her breath escapes her.

Cooper glances at her and then focuses on his daughter. "Blue, you're my little fighter, so just keep fighting. You'll come out of those doors with your insides on the inside where they belong and we'll be waiting for you." He holds her hand as the incubator rolls closer to the doors.

"Cooper," Addison starts.

He pulls himself away and stands back while Addison wheels Madelyn behind the door. He watches them disappear down the hallway, his hand pressed against the door window. He hears Charlotte cough and sniffle softly behind him, so he turns around and walks over to her. He sits down in the chair adjacent to hers and rests his hand on her thigh.

She swallows. "I'm fine." He doesn't believe her and she knows he doesn't, but it doesn't stop her from saying it.

"That's getting old."

She turns her head and opens her mouth to speak, but nothing but air comes out as tears begin to course down her reddened cheeks without much of a warning. Her right hand starts to shake and her chest tightens, her breathing becoming rapid and uneven. She looks down at her lap and tries to wipe her tears away as quickly as they fall. Her side burns and her ribs click each time she takes in another shaky breath, but she's not even thinking about the pain.

He leans over, kissing her on the cheek, trapping her tears under his lips. He skims his thumb across her other cheek, wiping away more tears. He carefully pushes her head down to his shoulder and runs his fingers through her hair. He suspects this is weeks, possibly months of built up emotion pouring out. He stays silent because he's not sure what to say to her. What can he say? It's going to be alright? No, because she won't believe in. You're ok? No, because he knows she's not. Addison's the best? No, because she already knows that. He's stuck, so he doesn't say anything at risk of upsetting her even more.

She lifts her head a minute later and whisks away the rest of tears that have fallen. She rubs her eyes and swallows. She stands up, using her crutch as an aid, and turns her head. "I'll meet you in the waitin' room."

"Where are you going?" He knows it's not any of his business, but he still wants to know. He's totally expecting her to give him a flippant answer or none at all, so when she tells him she's going to the bathroom, he's pleasantly surprised, but when she adds, "I don't need help", he laughs. He stands up and presses a kiss to her left temple.

She wipes away more tears and blinks, clearing her vision. She turns her head towards him and a small smile breaks through as she mouths, "Thank you." She fidgets with the button on his shirt, her eyes focusing on his.

He lowers his head and kisses her on the lips. He lifts his hand and brushes his thumb across her cheeks, wiping away the tears she missed. He breaks the kiss and presses one to her forehead. He smiles. "Anytime," is his response.

She lets out a breath. "See ya in there." She walks down the hallway and into the bathroom.

He keeps an eye on her, making sure she makes it, and then he heads to the waiting room where their colleagues are sitting around and chatting.

* * *

Cooper's sitting down, partially listening to the random chatter going on around him and partially thinking about his daughter draped and cut open on the table, getting her intestines pushed back into her abdominal cavity, a tube shoved down her throat to help her breathe. He glances at his watch and sighs. It's only been ten minutes since they watched Madelyn get wheeled back to the operating room. They had at least an hour and twenty minutes left of this agonizing wait.

"Where's Charlotte?" Jake asks.

"I'm right here," Charlotte says, making her way into the waiting room. She sits down beside her husband and rests her hand on top of his, bending her fingers and holding his hand.

Cooper leans in, pressing a kiss just above her ear before whispering, "Feel better?"

She just smiles and that's the only answer that's needed. She gently rubs her side, cringing as her fingers slide across her bruised skin.

Violet looks at Cooper. "I'm sure you told me, but how long is the surgery?"

Cooper lets out a breath. "Ninety minutes or longer if there are complications."

"How're you feeling, Charlotte?"

"Not great, Violet."

Mason looks up from his dad's iPad and turns his head towards his dad. "Should we pray for Madelyn? If we all do it, maybe God will really hear us."

Cooper looks around at his colleagues, who all have wary looks on their faces. "Come on guys, let's pray."

Soon everyone has their hands clasped and their heads bowed. A couple minutes later, everyone looks up.

Mason smiles. "I bet God heard us this time, dad."

Cooper nods.

"Can I get something from the vending machine?"

Cooper takes out his wallet and gives his son a few dollars. "Go ahead."

"Thanks." Mason leaves the waiting room, heading to the vending machine.

Cooper looks at Charlotte and lightly squeezes her hand. "You alright?" He knows she hates when he asks her that, but she's awfully quiet—he can't blame her, but he's still worried.

"I'm ok. This wait just sucks."

"You can say that again." He goes back to half listening to his colleagues' disjointed conversations. It's the only thing that's helping keep his mind off his daughter at the moment.

* * *

Close to two hours later, Addison turns the corner and walks into the waiting room, scrunching her scrub cap in her hand as she approaches the group. "Madelyn made it through surgery."

"What aren't you saying?" Cooper inquires, feeling as if his knees will give out any second. He grips Charlotte's hand as they stand there waiting for Addison to finish.

"Nothing. Everything was fine. There was some minor excess bleeding but nothing substantial. She'll be in and out of consciousness for a while as she comes out of anesthesia and she'll be on a ventilator for the next 36 hours just to give her body a chance to get used to having her intestines inside. She'll be on light sedation until the tube is removed, to make her more comfortable. She'll be fed intravenously until she can handle a gastro tube." Addison pauses. "The surgery went better than expected. There was little damage to her intestines, and everything fit inside beautifully."

"Can we see her now?"

"In about an hour. She'll be in the recovery area of the hospital until she's transferred back to the NICU. A nurse will keep you informed on her condition and you'll know as soon as you can see her."

Cooper nods. "So everything went ok?" He's just double-checking.

Addison smiles. "Everything went great." She pauses. "I have to go check on another patient."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," Addison says before leaving.

Cooper feels Charlotte squeeze his hand. He smiles and looks at her. "She's ok, sweetie."

Charlotte turns her head. "She made it through the surgery, Coop. That's not the same thing as being ok. She's not out of the woods yet and you know it."

Cooper sighs. "I know." He gives her a kiss on her cheek. "I'm gonna call my parents and let them know Madelyn made it through the surgery."

Charlotte just nods and sits down in the chair again, slowly and carefully, letting out a grunt.

Cooper looks at Violet and whispers, "Keep an eye on her for me, Vi."

Violet nods. "I'll keep her distracted."

"Thanks."

Violet hugs him, knowing he really needs one. She's in need of a good hug too if she's being honest. "Go call your parents."

Cooper nods and leaves the room, heading down the hallway.

Violet then sits next to Charlotte.

Charlotte shakes her head. "I'm not in the mood, Violet," she says before Violet can even get a word out. She just wants to see her daughter because only then will she feel like everything's going to be ok. Cooper keeps saying it and part of her wants to trust him, but it's the cynic in her that's keeping her from truly believing it.


	44. Chapter 44

Two days later, Charlotte's sitting in a rocking chair in her daughter's room, watching her wiggling around as a nurse monitors her. She jerks forward when she hears Madelyn's soft, terrified screeches.

The nurse rubs the sore spot on the newborn's arm and whispers gently, soothing her.

Charlotte relaxes again, closes her eyes, and yawns. She hasn't had a good night's sleep in a while and all this stress is wearing on her.

Cooper enters the NICU room and nudges Mason, who's stalled in the doorway.

Mason follows his dad over to his baby sister and stops in front of her incubator. He hesitantly slips his hand in and rubs Madelyn's foot.

Madelyn stretches as her brother's finger brushes against the bottom of her foot.

Mason laughs as his sister curls her toes around his finger. "Whoa."

Cooper squeezes Mason's shoulder. "She'll do that with her hand too."

The nurse steps back and looks at Charlotte. "Would you like to hold her?"

Charlotte blinks. "If I can."

The nurse nods. "You can." She tells Mason to step back so she can take Madelyn out. She slowly scoops the newborn into her arms, adjusting all the tubes and wires. She places the newborn into Charlotte's arms.

Charlotte cradles her daughter, holding her close to her chest. She alters the position of her hands and stares down at the newborn.

Madelyn opens her eyes and looks around. She scrunches up her face and starts to cry.

Charlotte rubs her daughter's chest gently and runs her hand over her blonde hair. "Shhh. Momma's got you," she whispers.

Cooper stands back, in awe of his wife. Seeing her holding their daughter, being so calm, just makes him smile. He steps closer to her and rests his hand on her shoulder, peering over and looking down at Madelyn. "How's it feel?"

Charlotte can't take her eyes off the newborn in her arms. She feels tears well up and soon some spill out, dripping down her cheeks. She hasn't been able to hold her daughter yet, so she's suddenly overwhelmed with emotions she never knew existed. She closes her eyes and leans back against the rocking chair. "It feels—it feels kinda strange."

Cooper smiles. "You'll get used to it."

Charlotte blinks her eyes open and wipes away her tears with the knuckle-joint of her index finger. She can feel her daughter's heartbeat against her arm and it puts her at ease.

Madelyn opens her eyes again and spans the room, stopping on her mother's chin.

Charlotte smiles. "Hi, baby girl." She looks up at Cooper. "Do you wanna hold her?"

"I do, but you can hold her for a little while longer. I'm ok with just watching."

"You sure?"

Cooper nods. "I'm sure."

"When do I get to hold her?" Mason asks, appearing at his dad's side.

Cooper messes up his hair. "When she gets a little bigger and a little stronger, you can hold her."

"When will that be?"

Cooper shrugs. "I don't know, Mase."

Mason slumps down in a chair and crosses his arms over his chest. He looks over at his parents, who are doting over the baby, and sighs.

Another few minutes pass, and then Cooper takes Madelyn from her mother's arms. He tweaks her nose and gives her a tender kiss on her forehead. He sits down and adjusts the newborn.

Madelyn scrunches up her face and lets out a sneeze.

"Bless you, Blue." Cooper wipes her nose and presses another kiss to her cheek. They've still got a long road ahead of them, but it doesn't seem that far away now that he can hold her. He's been waiting months to be able to do this, and at this moment, it's 100 times better than he imagined it would be.

* * *

Three and a half weeks later, Charlotte's sitting in the rocking chair, with Madelyn in her arms. She smiles and rubs her daughter's head. "Good mornin', baby girl."

Cooper walks in and kisses the top of his wife's head. "She's hungry."

"I never thought we'd get here," Charlotte says, slipping the bottle in between her daughter's lips. She adjusts the bottle and watches Madelyn suck out the breast milk, stretching her arms as if she's trying to hold her own bottle. "That's good, huh?" She pulls the bottle out, giving Madelyn a rest, and then replaces it.

Madelyn opens her eyes and stares at her mother's face. She unlatches from the nipple and coughs.

Charlotte rubs her chest and burps her gently.

The nurse walks over. "How'd she do?"

"She finished a little more than half the milk."

"That's fantastic. It's a good start."

Charlotte wipes Madelyn's mouth and kisses her. "You hear that, sweet pea? You did good."

Cooper rests his hand on his wife's shoulder. "You did good too." He laughs. "You understand what the first bottle feed means, don't you?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "No."

"It means that we're one step closer to bringing her home with us. It also means that she could be coming home with us soon."

Charlotte smiles. She's ready to be done with all this NICU stuff, she's ready to go home and not have to come back to the hospital unless it's work related, she's ready for their lives to return to somewhat normal. "I can't wait." She can't, that's the truth, but she's also nervous. At least in the hospital, she has help. When she goes home, she'll be totally on her own, aside from Cooper and Mason. It terrifies her, but she's up for the challenge.

* * *

Ten days later, Charlotte wakes up early in the morning to the sound of her daughter's cries. She rubs her eyes and slowly gets out of bed, using her crutch as a helping hand.

Cooper stirs, hearing the footsteps, and opens his eyes, squinting. He smiles. "Good morning."

She turns her head and smiles back at him. "It is a good mornin', indeed." She sits in the rocking chair and adjusts Madelyn, elevating her head slightly on her forearm. She slips the warmed bottle in and lets out a breath.

Cooper watches his girls as he fights off sleep. "Today's the day, Char."

She nods, brushing her knuckle against Madelyn's cheek.

"You nervous?"

"Mmhmm."

"You have nothing to be nervous about. Have I told you lately how amazing you are? You're a great mother. Our kids are damn lucky to have you as their momma."

"You really mean that?"

"Yes." He pauses. "How's our princess today?"

"Wide awake." She sets the bottle on the table and burps Madelyn. She lowers her back down and wipes away the spit-up milk. "You were hungry this mornin', huh, Blue?"

Madelyn looks around the low-lit room and stretches, yawning wide. She coos softly and wraps her hand around her mother's T-shirt.

"The nursery is done, right?"

Cooper nods. "I swung by the house last night because Mason called from his friend's house and said he forgot something. I unpacked the rest of the boxes, put up Madelyn's initials above her crib, and took stock of everything. We're all set to bring her home."

"We have enough diapers and all that?"

"Charlotte, relax."

"Just double checking." She stands up and sets Madelyn on the changing table.

Cooper rolls out of bed and walks over to her. He gives her a good morning kiss on her cheek and smiles. "I'll change her."

"I can do it."

"I know you can, but I want to."

"Ok, be my guest then."

There's a knock on the door and Addison walks in.

Charlotte turns her head. "You're here early."

"I had a mom who thought she was in labor. It was a false alarm." Addison pauses. "How's Madelyn?"

"Ready to go home."

"Not so fast. She needs a few more tests done before you can take her home, but it's looking like today is the day."

Cooper tickles Madelyn and showers her with soft, quick kisses. He's met with a smile or what he wants to believe is a small smile from the newborn. He looks down at her, his face only a few inches from hers, and smiles back. "We've been waiting a long time to take you home, Blue." He scoops her up and holds her.

"She's looking more like Charlotte every day," Addison observes.

Cooper nods and presses a kiss to Madelyn's temple. "Yep."

Addison checks her pager when it goes off. "I have to go. I'll be back later." She smiles and leaves.

Charlotte stands up and walks over to Cooper. She runs her fingers through the small wisps of blonde hair on her daughter's head and smiles. "I'll be in the shower if you need me."

"How're you feeling today?" He pauses. "I know you hate when I ask, but you didn't have a good night. I could tell."

She sighs. "I was anxious and sore. I'm ok. I'm feelin' better. I'll feel a lot better when we're home again." She heads into the bathroom and shuts the door.

Cooper gets comfortable in the rocking chair and holds Madelyn as she falls asleep.

* * *

At 2:30, Cooper stands in front of the house, holding the infant seat and staring through the open front door. He takes a step forward and crosses the threshold into the foyer. "Welcome home, Blue."

Charlotte walks in after him, stopping at his side and resting her hand on his back. She looks down at Madelyn and smiles. "Home sweet home." She yawns and makes her way into the kitchen.

He kicks the door shut and follows his wife. He sets the carrier on the counter and cups Charlotte's face, turning it towards him and closing the gap between their lips.

She relaxes into the kiss and closes her eyes. She tugs on his shirt and pulls back. She wipes the smudge of lip gloss off of his lips and smiles. The moment is ruined by Madelyn waking up and starting to cry.

He steals a quick kiss and takes Madelyn out of the infant carrier. He bounces her gently and walks over to the fridge. Balancing her, he opens the fridge and grabs a bottle. "You can go take a nap. I can handle the baby. I'll come join you when I put her in her crib."

She yawns and sighs.

"What's wrong?"

She shakes her head. "Nothin' I can't handle myself."

"Are you in pain?"

"It's manageable."

"Go lie down." He smiles and sets the bottle in the warmer. "I'll get you the heating pad. That should help."

She nods and goes upstairs.

He warms the bottle, tests it, and slips it in his daughter's mouth, sitting down at the table. He watches Madelyn feed, beyond happy that she's finally home. "You're gonna love your room, Blue." He adjusts the bottle and her head when she starts to fuss. "That's better." He sets the bottle on the tabletop after she unlatches from the nipple. He burps her, rubbing her back gently. He stands up and puts the bottle in the sink. "Do you wanna go see momma or go to sleep?"

Madelyn yawns, almost on cue.

"Sleep it is, Blue." He smiles and walks up the steps.

* * *

Cooper opens his bedroom doors and creeps in. He takes off his shoes and gets more comfortable. He crawls into bed and places a kiss to Charlotte's shoulder. He brushes his hand against her neck and smiles. "You awake?"

Charlotte opens an eye and nods. "Mmhmm." She rubs her eyes and turns her head towards him.

He pushes her hair away from her face and smiles wider. "I brought you the heating pad. You wanna try it?"

She nods. It couldn't hurt.

He rolls off the bed and walks around to her. He plugs it in and sets the temperature. He rests it across her lower abdomen and hips and gives her a kiss on the lips. "I hope that helps."

"The pain isn't that bad."

"You don't have to lie. You'll always be strong to me no matter what." He gets back into bed and nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck.

She shuts her eyes and relaxes as the heat seeps into her skin, passes though her muscles, and surrounds her bones. "I love you."

He nods and kisses her neck. "I love you too." He pauses. "Take a nap—at least try to, please."

She beat him to it. She's not quite asleep, but she's in the state of mind between full awareness and complete darkness.

He slides his hand up and down her arm as they lay there close together. He falls asleep shortly after she does. He's exhausted and the stress that's been weighing him down and keeping him from sleeping well for the past six week had started to fade the minute he walked into the house with his daughter.

* * *

_Next chapter will be the epilogue_


	45. Chapter 45

Five and a half months later, Charlotte's sitting on the couch, leaned against Cooper, as they watch _American Idol _reruns on TV.

Cooper suddenly sits up, displacing his wife's head, which was resting on his shoulder. "Char." He shakes her.

She slaps his hand. "A little warnin' woulda been nice."

"Madelyn's crawling."

She turns her head towards her daughter. "Would ya look at that? Our baby girl is crawlin'."

"Shhh. Don't disturb her."

"She's not a damn zoo animal, Coop." She watches Madelyn lunge towards the steps, reaching up, trying to climb up the gate.

The doorbell rings, which startles Madelyn. She stops crawling and tears well up in her eyes, her bottom lip quivering as a few loud sniffles and sobs escape.

Charlotte stands up and hoists her daughter in the air, setting her on her hip. She checks the peephole and then unlocks the door. She opens the door wide and blinks. "What're you guys doin' here?"

"You never come visit us, so we decided to come visit you." Landry walks into the living room and looks around. "Nice place, Charlie."

Duke walks in a minute later. "Miss us, Charlie?"

"Oh, you have no idea," she jokes.

Duke and Landry look at Cooper. "Hey."

Cooper nods, offering a wave and a 'hey' back. He stands up and walks over to Charlotte, pressing a kiss to her cheek and messing up Madelyn's blonde hair. "I'll be back later. I have to go pick Mason up from Luke's house."

"Great. You're leavin' me alone with these knuckleheads. Thanks."

Cooper laughs. "I'll be back." He looks between her brothers. "Be nice." He runs upstairs and two minutes later, he's out the door.

Charlotte eyes her brothers' suitcases. "How long you plannin' to stay? Ten years?"

"Very funny and the second suitcase is stuff from the house. Momma thought you'd wanna have some of your old crap." Landry looks at the infant in his sister's arms. "Is that my niece?"

"It sure is."

"Let me have 'er."

"You been drinkin' today?"

"Had one on the plane." Landry pauses. "I ain't drunk, Charlie."

Charlotte hesitantly hands Madelyn over to Landry, smoothing down the hair Cooper had tousled. "Don't drop her."

"I've held babies 'fore, sis. You know how many of our cousins have popped a kid out since you've been out here in LaLa land?"

Madelyn squirms and starts crying.

Charlotte rubs her daughter's arm and presses a kiss to her cheek. "It's ok, baby girl. This is your Uncle." She leads her brothers to the couch and sits down on the chair. "She doesn't like strangers, right now. Hates them, actually. She's goin' through a phase."

"She looks more like you in person than she does in the pictures you've sent us," Landry observes, lifting up Madelyn's arms as she clutches his fingers.

Charlotte nods. "You two hungry?" She glances at her watch. "We can go out for an early dinner when Coop comes home with Mason. I'm sure you're starvin'."

"I could go for a burger."

"You want a snack to tide ya over?"

"Whatcha got?"

"We've pretty much got everythin'." Charlotte pauses. "You can go take a look."

Landry stands up and hands Madelyn back to her mother.

Duke follows him into the kitchen and they search the pantry.

Charlotte adjusts the infant after she starts whimpering and shakes her head. "We're gonna have an interestin' few days, Blue." She presses a kiss to the top of her head and disappears into the kitchen. "Come out on the deck when you find somethin' to eat." She opens the doors and steps outside.

* * *

Charlotte's pushing Madelyn in her swing when Duke and Landry emerge from the kitchen. "You two plannin' on stayin' here?"

"If ya got room for us."

"There's one extra bedroom in the main house and another bedroom in the pool house. You can fight over which one of ya gets what bedroom."

"Rock-paper-scissors," Landry suggests.

"What are you twelve?" Charlotte pulls back the swing and lets go.

Madelyn kicks her legs and holds on, smiling and giggling as the wind blows through her hair. She babbles and smacks her lips together.

"Havin' fun, baby girl?" Charlotte smiles and glances at her brothers. "I can't believe you're really doing rock-paper-scissors."

"I win!" Duke shouts.

"It's best two out of three, you bonehead."

"Fine. I'll just beat ya again."

"What bedroom you playin' for?"

Duke shrugs. "Whoever wins gets to pick. If I win, which I'm gonna, I'm gonna pick whichever bed is comfiest." He looks at Landry. "Rock-paper-scissors-shoot." He flattens his hand. "Paper beats rock. Ha. I win." He disappears towards the pool house to try out the mattress.

"So how's what's her name? Janna—was that it?"

Landry nods. "We broke up."

"Bummer. I thought she was wife material—if you overlook the fact that she's old enough to be our momma and she's still married."

"Hey! I loved her and she was separated and going through a divorce. I did nothing wrong." Landry pauses and takes out his cell phone. He shows Charlotte his background picture. "This is my girl, Amanda."

Charlotte takes the phone to get a better look at the picture. "She's cute. Don't screw it up."

"Why do you assume that _I_ always screw it up?"

Charlotte twists her mouth and raises an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna answer that. I don't have to." She pauses. "Is it serious? With you and this girl?"

Landry nods. "Pretty serious. We've knocked boots a few times."

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh, you mean like do I love 'er?"

Charlotte nods. "Do you feel somethin' for her or is this just another hit and run?"

"I like her. I really like her."

"Then I repeat—don't screw it up."

Landry just rolls his eyes. "How're you and Cooper?"

Charlotte smiles. "We're great. It's been an adjustment for sure, but we're doin' great."

"When momma came home from your weddin', she was convinced you made a mistake. I'm glad she was wrong. I wouldn't want what happened with Billy to happen again."

"Aw, you didn't wanna see me get hurt again?"

Landry rolls his eyes again. "Shut up."

Charlotte laughs and stops the swing. She lifts Madelyn out and sets her on her hip. "I'm gonna go change her real quick. The guest bedroom is across from the kitchen in case I'm not downstairs by the time Duke comes to test the bed out." She looks at Madelyn and gives her a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Let's go get you changed, Blue." She walks into the house and heads up the steps.

* * *

Charlotte's in the kitchen, giving Madelyn her dinner, when Cooper walks in. "Mason didn't want to come home, did he?"

Cooper laughs. "Nope, but he had to 'cause Luke's going to San Francisco tomorrow to see his dad." He pauses. "What's for dinner?"

"I was thinkin' we could go out to eat since my brothers are here. Nothin' fancy, just somethin' simple like the diner."

"Sounds good to me." He drops a kiss on the top of Madelyn's head. "You're enjoying those peas and carrots, aren't you, Blue?"

Madelyn tilts her head back, turning it slightly, and looks up at her father, giving him a toothy grin. She babbles and turns back to Charlotte when she sees the spoon out of the corner of her eye.

He can't help but smile. "Eat up." He looks at Charlotte. "Where are your brothers?"

"Landry's takin' a nap in the guest bedroom and Duke's takin' a shower. We'll leave in about a half hour."

"Are you happy they're here?"

She shrugs. "I'll answer that the day they leave." She wipes the corners of her daughter's mouth and feeds her another spoonful.

"Fair enough." He pauses. "I'm gonna let Mason know what we're doing for dinner."

"Ok." She focuses on Madelyn again, cleaning her up as she feeds her.

Cooper smiles and heads upstairs.

* * *

All six of them are circled around a table at the diner, waiting for their orders. Charlotte's keeping an eye on Madelyn, who's drinking from her bottle. "Slow down, Blue, or you'll get yourself a tummy ache," she warns, not that she expected her daughter to obey or understand her. She takes the bottle out of the infant's mouth and sets it in front of her.

Madelyn squirms and whimpers, reaching her arms out. She burps and some milk dribbles down her chin.

The server comes over to the table and sets each of their plates in front of them before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Charlotte stares at her cheeseburger and her mouth waters. She's starving. Her appetite's just too large for her usual salad. She wipes Madelyn's mouth and slips the bottle back into her mouth.

Madelyn sniffles and holds her bottle in place.

"I was just givin' you a break." Charlotte picks up her burger and takes a bite. "Yum." She catches a glimpse at Mason. "Can you use your knife and fork, please?"

Mason picks up his knife.

"Thank you." Charlotte goes back to eating her cheeseburger.

Cooper rests his hand on his wife's thigh and slowly inches upwards.

Charlotte pulls back the cheeseburger, turns her head, and arches one eyebrow. She drops one hand and slaps his away. "Not HERE, not NOW," she emphasizes.

Cooper smirks and cuts his burger in half.

Charlotte swallows and tries to focus on her dinner.

Landry snickers, looking up from his burger.

"What're you laughin' 'bout?"

"Oh, nothin'." Landry pauses. "But I do want to remind you that there are small children at this table—_your_ small children."

"Hush." Charlotte sets her burger down and takes a sip of her water.

"I think Charlie needs a lesson in proper dinner etiquette, Lan," Duke adds.

Charlotte rolls her eyes and glares at Cooper. "Thank you, by the way."

Cooper throws up his hands in defense. "What did I do?" He laughs.

Charlotte makes a conscious effort to ignore them. She focuses on her dinner, trying to enjoy every last bite.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte's sitting up in bed, going through the boxes her mother sent up with her brothers. She pulls out a picture and laughs. "Why did I ever think that hairstyle looked good?"

Cooper walks out of the bathroom and peers over the shoulder. "Oh man, you look hot."

She turns his head and slaps him on the leg with the photo.

"Ow." He rubs his leg and crawls into bed. "What's all this?"

"Some old stuff my momma sent up with my brothers. It's all my horseback ridin' ribbons, honor roll certificates, some notes from when I was in high school, and a whole bunch of pictures."

He grabs a picture from the top of the disorganized pile. "Who's this?"

She takes the picture. "One of the guys my daddy hired to tend to the stables on the weekends."

"There's more to that story, isn't there?"

"Yes, but that's none of your business." She stuffs the picture back into the pile and picks up another one.

"How old were you in that picture?"

"Six."

"You look so cute in all your riding gear, especially 'cause that helmet is way too big for you."

She laughs. "It kept slidin' down."

He takes another picture out of the box. "Who are these people?"

She looks over at him. "That's a picture of my parents on their weddin' day. I guess my momma wanted me to have a copy of it." She takes it from him and looks at it more closely. "Wow. Big Daddy looks so young." She smiles.

A picture buried in the pile catches his eye so he retrieves it and looks at it. "I remember this."

She takes the photo and looks at it. "That was at Big Daddy's funeral."

He nods.

A thin layer of moisture coats her eyes and she feels tears pool into the corners. She blinks and sets the photo of the two of them on top of the pile.

"Charlotte?"

Her thumb brushes against the photo she has in her hands, her parents' wedding picture, and blinks rapidly.

He moves the box and scoots closer to her. He lies beside her, his body touching hers, and wraps his arm around her shoulders and drapes his other arm across her waist.

She hasn't thought about her father in a while, but she's usually ok when she does. She's sad, but it fades. This is the first time she's really let herself get to this point—tears, heavy breathing, a slight quiver of her body.

He rubs her side. He doesn't know what to say to her because his parents are still alive. He doesn't understand. All he can do is lie there and be her silent support.

She rubs her eyes and turns her head, their noses bumping into each other. She smiles and presses her lips against his, angling her head slightly. She melts into him and rolls onto her side. She wraps her arms around him and rests against his chest. A few tears leak out and she steadies her breathing.

He rubs her back and hugs her tighter. "You wanna finish looking at these pictures?"

She separates from him and whisks away the tears. She nods. "Um, yeah."

"You ok?"

She nods. "Just had a moment. I'm ok."

He brushes his thumb against her cheeks and kisses her on the lips delicately.

She curls her toes, feeling the kiss surge through her body. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He searches through the pile of pictures, looking for one that will either make her laugh, smile, or embarrass her—either one will help get her mind off her father and that's exactly what he wants to do. _Perfect. _He finds one where she's half naked, wearing her diaper on top of her head.

She immediately snatches the photo from him and stuffs it under her butt. "Erase that from your memory."

"Sorry, no can do."

She scowls and pushes him. "Maybe I should call your mother and have her send me your baby pictures. We'll see who's laughin' then."

He shuts up quickly, his mouth going completely straight.

She sniffles and looks at Cooper. "I'm tired of looking at pictures."

"Ok?"

She sets the box on the floor and clutches the hem of his shirt in her hands. She moves closer to him and their lips meet.

He gives in to her advances and pushes her sweatshirt off her shoulders. His goal was to cheer her up, but he managed that and more.

She pushes his shoulder down against the mattress and rolls on top of him. She looks down into his eyes and smirks. She's said it before, but she'll say it again. She's grateful she has him. He managed to cheer her up, make her mad, and get her in the mood all at the same time—he's got skills.

He shifts, rolling over, so she's on the bottom. He glances at the door, making sure it's locked, and then kisses her. "This is much more fun than looking at pictures."

"Mmhmm," she mumbles against her lips and pulls on his hair.

"I love you," he whispers between kisses.

She nods and shifts on the mattress. She pulls back a little and presses her finger to his lips. "Shhhh."

"Yes, ma'am." He laughs and gets back to kissing her.

* * *

**_The End_**

_Thanks for reading!_


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